In a week marked by mounting tension and a flurry of official statements, northern Europe found itself at the center of a high-stakes security drama as a wave of unexplained drone sightings rattled Denmark, Germany, and their NATO allies. The incidents, which unfolded between September 22 and 28, 2025, have not only disrupted air traffic and military routines but have also triggered a heated diplomatic exchange, new security measures, and a scramble to reinforce defenses ahead of a key European Union summit in Copenhagen.
It all began with a series of mysterious drone sightings over five Danish airports and several military bases in Germany’s northern state bordering Denmark. According to the Danish defense ministry, drones were again observed at multiple armed forces locations overnight from September 27 into September 28, prompting the deployment of “several capacities”—though officials withheld details on the number of drones or specific sites. The ministry’s statement, as reported by The Guardian, emphasized the seriousness of the situation but kept operational specifics under wraps.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen minced no words, describing the drone incursion that disrupted air traffic at Copenhagen Airport as a “serious attack” on the nation’s critical infrastructure. The Danish justice minister, Peter Hummelgaard, echoed these concerns, stating that the goal of the flyovers was to “sow fear and division.” He also revealed that Denmark would seek additional ways to neutralize drones, including proposing legislation to allow infrastructure owners to shoot them down.
With the European Union summit in Copenhagen looming, the Danish transportation ministry took the extraordinary step of announcing a blanket ban on all civilian drone flights from September 29 to October 3. “We cannot accept that foreign drones create uncertainty and disturbances in society, as we have experienced recently. At the same time, Denmark will host EU leaders in the coming week, where we will have extra focus on security,” declared transportation minister Thomas Danielsen in a statement. The ban, which does not apply to military, police, or emergency drone operations, carries stiff penalties: violators face fines or up to two years in prison.
The response from Denmark’s allies was swift. On September 28, the German air defense frigate FSG Hamburg docked in Copenhagen, ready to bolster airspace surveillance and security for the summit. The German military also pledged to provide “counter-small unmanned aircraft systems capabilities”—detection technologies using radar, optics, and acoustics. Sweden, for its part, announced it would lend Denmark a military anti-drone capability, though specifics were not disclosed. According to The Guardian, NATO had already stepped up its vigilance in the Baltic Sea region, deploying multiple intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms, along with at least one air defense frigate, as part of its Baltic Sentry operation. Colonel Martin O’Donnell, spokesperson for NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, confirmed that the alliance had been in constant contact with Danish leaders and that these enhanced assets aimed to address recent drone incidents.
As the public’s anxiety grew—hundreds of possible sightings were reported by concerned citizens, though not all could be confirmed—authorities urged vigilance and encouraged the reporting of any suspicious activity to the police. The Danish government’s firm stance was underscored by the justice minister’s call for new legislation and by the transportation ministry’s sweeping drone ban, both reflecting an urgent desire to restore public confidence and safeguard critical infrastructure during a period of heightened alert.
The geopolitical stakes quickly became apparent. While Danish and NATO officials stopped short of directly accusing Russia, both noted that Russian involvement “could not be ruled out.” Russia’s embassy in Denmark, however, categorically denied any role in the incidents. Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Vladislav Maslennikov lashed out at the European Union, accusing the bloc of “hysteria” over the drone sightings. According to the state-owned RIA Novosti news agency, Maslennikov claimed that the EU was using the drone incidents as a pretext to justify increased military spending, at the expense of socioeconomic stability and the public’s standard of living.
Vladimir Chizhov, first deputy chairman of Russia’s Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security, told Russia-24 TV that Russia had “no need to demonstrate its strength by dispatching drones to EU countries.” In a similar vein, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addressed the issue in his speech at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on September 27. Lavrov insisted, “Moscow has never had and does not have any such intentions” of attacking European or NATO countries. However, he issued a stern warning: “Any aggression against my country will be met with a decisive response. There should be no doubt about this among those in NATO and the EU.”
The rhetoric was further inflamed by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who, in comments released to Russian media, warned that any attempt by NATO to shoot down Russian or Belarusian aircraft would trigger an “immediate response.” Lukashenko asked pointedly, “Let them try, let them shoot. Or they’ll shoot down something Russian over Kaliningrad. Then, of course, we’ll have to fight, as they say in Russia, with all we’ve got. Is that necessary? No.”
Amid these escalating tensions, the European Union pressed forward with plans for a so-called “drone wall”—a build-up of technical equipment designed to detect and neutralize drones attempting to cross EU borders. On September 26, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius agreed that construction of this drone wall along the EU’s eastern border should begin soon, with planning already underway and further discussions scheduled at the upcoming informal European Council meeting. Yet, as Russian officials pointed out, the EU had not yet reached consensus on the details of the proposed wall as of September 27.
For now, the skies over northern Europe remain tense. The flurry of drone sightings, official denials, and rapid military deployments have underscored just how quickly technological threats can escalate into diplomatic crises. As EU leaders gather in Copenhagen under unprecedented security, the region’s governments are betting that a combination of vigilance, new legislation, and international cooperation will be enough to keep the peace—at least for now.
