For weeks now, the skies over Belgium and much of Europe have been abuzz with a new and unsettling phenomenon: mysterious drones repeatedly swooping over airports, military sites, and even nuclear power plants. These incidents, which have led to airport closures, stranded passengers, and heightened security alerts, are raising serious questions about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and the geopolitical motives possibly driving this surge in drone activity.
On the evening of November 10, 2025, Liège Airport—one of Belgium’s key cargo hubs—was forced to suspend all air traffic around 7:30 p.m. after multiple drone sightings were reported. Flights resumed less than an hour later, but the disruption was only the latest in a series of such events. Just days earlier, both Brussels and Liège airports had faced repeated interruptions due to drone incursions. Drones were also spotted flying over military installations and the busy Port of Antwerp, according to reports from Belgian officials and local media.
Perhaps most alarmingly, Belgian media reported that at least three drones were seen over the Doel nuclear power plant near Antwerp on November 9. While CBC News noted it could not independently confirm these sightings, the mere possibility has left authorities scrambling to shore up defenses and address public concern. A photo published by Reuters showed a prominent ‘No Drone Zone’ placard at Brussels International Airport on November 6, the same day government officials and experts convened for an emergency meeting in response to the escalating situation.
This wave of drone activity is not confined to Belgium. Across Europe, similar incidents have been reported at airports and sensitive sites, fueling speculation that the continent is facing a coordinated campaign of disruption. The European Union’s top official didn’t mince words on November 10, describing the spate of drone incursions as “hybrid warfare” waged by Russia. As BBC Verify reported, drone sightings have been mapped across Europe, and experts have presented evidence suggesting Russian involvement.
Belgian officials, for their part, have been careful not to directly assign blame. After the National Security Council convened on November 6, Interior Minister Bernard Quintin assured the public that the situation was “under control,” though he declined to offer specifics on countermeasures. But behind the scenes, suspicions are mounting. Intelligence sources and local media suggest foreign involvement, with Moscow viewed as the most likely perpetrator. Defense Minister Theo Francken put it bluntly on November 8: “Russia is clearly a plausible suspect,” he told reporters, hinting at geopolitical motives.
Other European leaders are drawing similar conclusions. Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius linked the drone disruptions to tensions over Russia’s frozen assets—worth a staggering 140 billion euros—currently held in Belgium’s Euroclear clearinghouse. “This is a measure aimed at spreading insecurity, at fearmongering in Belgium: ‘Don’t you dare to touch the frozen assets,’” Pistorius said on November 7. “This cannot be interpreted any other way.”
The Kremlin, for its part, has dismissed these accusations as unfounded. In October, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov argued that “numerous politicians in Europe are now eager to blame Russia for any issue.” But the pattern of incidents is hard to ignore. In Germany, 17 flights at Munich airport were grounded in October after drones entered restricted airspace, prompting authorities to assemble rapid-response teams. In Denmark, a September 22 drone incursion over Copenhagen airport was described by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen as “the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date.” Danish police decided against shooting down the drones, citing the risk to passengers and planes on the runway.
As the frequency of sightings has grown, so has the sense of urgency. Giuseppe Spatafora, a research analyst at the EU Institute for Security Studies, told CBC News that the scale of the disruptions is “quite unprecedented.” He noted that the countries experiencing the most drone activity are those that have taken significant steps to support Ukraine—or are considering doing so. This, he said, “cannot be ignored as a possible factor.”
With the threat mounting, international cooperation is ramping up. On November 9, the United Kingdom announced it would join France and Germany in sending personnel and equipment to Belgium to help counter drone incursions around sensitive sites. The head of Britain’s armed forces, Richard Knighton, told the BBC that Belgium had requested assistance after Brussels airport was closed for hours due to drone sightings. “There is a sort of element of whack-a-mole or hide and seek here,” Jacob Funk Kirkegaard of the Peterson Institute told CBC. “These drones, whoever launches them or wherever they are launched from, they don’t linger, right? They enter blocked airspaces and then they’re gone again.”
NATO is also stepping up its efforts. After approximately 20 Russian drones violated Polish airspace in September, the alliance launched Operation Eastern Sentry, increasing aerial patrols in Poland with surveillance aircraft equipped with powerful radar domes. While these systems can spot planes and ships from over 500 kilometers away, smaller drones remain a challenge. “We need to tweak our systems to be able to see those drones, because a normal aircraft will not have the same radar return as small drones,” said Capt. Joel, an AWACS aircraft commander, during a surveillance flight on November 4. “The situation in Ukraine proved to us that during a tense situation, man can be creative to find new ways of fighting. The concept we had five or 10 years ago evolved pretty quick … we need to evolve as well.”
Looking further ahead, European Union officials are developing plans for a region-wide “drone wall” to protect critical infrastructure, aiming to have it operational by 2027. But experts warn that such ambitions may be difficult to realize. “I wouldn’t call it completely unrealistic, but let’s just call it very ambitious,” said Funk Kirkegaard. The lesson from Ukraine’s battlefields is clear: intercepting waves of nimble, inexpensive drones is exceedingly difficult. Instead, he suggests, Europe should focus on protecting its most vital infrastructure and carefully weigh the risks of intervention—like shooting down a suspicious drone over an urban area, which could cause dangerous debris to fall on homes or crowds.
For now, the skies above Europe remain a contested space, with drones symbolizing both technological ingenuity and the shadowy realities of modern conflict. As governments race to adapt, the stakes—security, public confidence, and geopolitical stability—could hardly be higher.
