On the evening of September 22, 2025, Scandinavia's skies were thrust into chaos as a series of mysterious drone sightings forced the closure of major airports in Copenhagen and Oslo, disrupting travel for thousands and igniting a fierce international debate over security, attribution, and the future of critical infrastructure protection in Europe. The events, which unfolded over several tense hours, have since been labeled by Danish officials as "the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date," and have drawn condemnation, speculation, and calls for action from leaders across NATO and the European Union.
The trouble began around 9:00 p.m. local time, when Copenhagen Airport, Scandinavia's busiest air hub, was abruptly shut down after air traffic controllers detected two to three large drones maneuvering near its airspace. According to reports from TV4 Nyheterna and corroborated by multiple sources, the drones appeared from several directions, their lights flickering on and off, before hovering ominously for hours. Police officials described the operation as sophisticated, suggesting a skilled operator was at the controls. "It’s an actor who has the capabilities, the will and the tools to show off in this way," said Danish police Chief Superintendent Jens Jespersen during a news conference, as quoted by NBC News. He added, "It all indicates that you are not out to attack anyone, but you are out to show off and maybe to practice."
As the drones loitered overhead, authorities faced a difficult choice. Jespersen explained that officials opted not to shoot down the drones due to the significant risks posed to passengers, planes on the runways, and the proximity of fuel depots. The decision, while prudent, prolonged the disruption: all take-offs and landings at Copenhagen were suspended for nearly four hours, resulting in the cancellation of more than 30 flights and the redirection of about 50 others to airports in Denmark, Gothenburg, and Malmö, Sweden. Passengers were left stranded or rerouted, and the ripple effects of the closure extended into Tuesday morning, with delays and cancellations continuing as schedules struggled to recover.
Meanwhile, the drone drama was not confined to Denmark. Across the border in Norway, Oslo’s Gardermoen Airport was forced to halt traffic around midnight after a separate drone sighting. Arrivals were redirected and the airport operated on a single runway until services resumed roughly three hours later. In a related incident earlier that evening, Norwegian police detained two Singaporean nationals for flying drones over the Akershus Fortress, a historic and restricted site in Oslo. While no direct link has been established between that arrest and the airport shutdown, authorities in both Denmark and Norway have been sharing information to determine whether the incidents are connected.
The impact of the disruptions was immediate and far-reaching. Thousands of travelers found themselves delayed, rerouted, or stranded overnight. According to the Associated Press, officials at Copenhagen Airport advised passengers to check with airlines for updates, warning that further delays and cancellations might persist until normal operations could be restored. The airport’s operations resumed shortly after midnight, but the sense of unease lingered.
As investigators scrambled to identify the type and origin of the drones—none of which were recovered—questions swirled about possible motives and perpetrators. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen did not mince words, calling the events "the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date" and refusing to rule out Russian involvement. "I cannot rule out that it is Russia," Frederiksen told reporters, referencing a string of similar drone incursions and airspace violations in Poland, Romania, and Estonia earlier in September. These incidents have heightened security concerns across northern Europe and prompted NATO to scrutinize what many see as a pattern of hybrid attacks designed to probe, disrupt, or intimidate.
At the United Nations General Assembly in New York, NATO leaders condemned the incidents and issued stern warnings to Moscow. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told a news conference, "It is too early to say what was behind the incident in Copenhagen," but cautioned Russia against a "continuation of this dangerous pattern." The alliance, he said, stands "ready and willing to defend every inch of allied territory." The European Commission echoed these concerns, with President Ursula von der Leyen declaring on social media, "Europe’s critical infrastructure is at risk. It is clear we are witnessing a pattern of persistent contestation at our borders." She pledged that the continent would "respond to this threat with strength & determination."
For its part, the Kremlin dismissed the accusations as baseless and provocative. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that such statements were "no longer taken into account," while Russia’s ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, accused the West of attempting to provoke NATO countries into confrontation. "Russia is not interested in further escalation of tensions in Europe," Barbin insisted on Telegram, describing the incident as an effort to incite direct military conflict.
While the investigation into the Copenhagen and Oslo drone incidents continues, the broader context is impossible to ignore. Just days prior, a cyberattack had affected airport systems across several European hubs, including Heathrow, Berlin, and Brussels, fueling further anxiety about the resilience of aviation security. In response, the European Union is now weighing the creation of a "drone wall" along its eastern border, as revealed by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys to Reuters. NATO, too, has launched operation "Eastern Sentry" to bolster defenses along the alliance’s eastern flank.
These latest disruptions also evoke memories of previous high-profile drone incidents, such as the closures at London’s Gatwick Airport in 2018 and 2023, both of which caused significant travel chaos and underscored the persistent risk posed by unmanned aerial vehicles near major airports. The frequency of such events, combined with the increasing sophistication of drone technology, has left authorities grappling with how best to monitor, deter, and respond to these evolving threats.
As the dust settles from this week’s chaos, the message from European leaders is clear: vigilance must be heightened, and defenses strengthened, lest critical infrastructure remain vulnerable to the whims of unseen—and as yet unidentified—actors in the skies above.
