Unidentified drones paralyze Danish airports; government has no clear answers and will seek help from Ukraine.
According to TV2, Denmark experienced a series of serious security incidents during the late hours of Wednesday evening and into the early hours of Thursday morning, as “Durnat” drones penetrated the airspace over several airports in the Jutland region, disrupting air traffic and causing widespread concern on both the security and political levels.
Unprecedented drone activity at several airports
The website reported that drones were seen over the airports of Aalborg, Esbjerg, Sønderborg and Skrydstrup, and Billund Airport was temporarily closed following reports of similar activity.
Two ministers at a press conference: “Hybrid attack”
Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen and Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard held a press conference Thursday morning, confirming that the incident was a “hybrid attack” by a “professional actor.” Hummelgaard explained that the government would work to equip the country with new and rapid defense capabilities to deal with such threats in the future.
Concerns from a close source
The defense minister said the drones were “most likely launched from nearby areas,” adding: “I cannot pinpoint their exact origin, but they did not come from far away.”.
Jens Møller, former deputy chief of police in Copenhagen, stated that “the senders of these drones may be inside Denmark, in northern Germany, or near Danish territory.”.
Raising the level of emergency preparedness
National Police Director General Thorkild Fogde announced that the National Operations Authority (NOST) has raised its readiness level to operate around the clock. This authority comprises the National Police, the Security and Intelligence Service, the Military Intelligence Service, the Defence Command, the Emergency Situations Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Supply Security Agency, the Ministry of Health, and the Transport Agency, with the possibility of involving other agencies as needed.
Political reactions and analyses
According to TV2, TV2's political editor Hans Redder said the government faces a "huge explanatory problem," stressing that "drones flew for hours over the country's most important infrastructure without any real interception," which raises questions about the readiness of the defenses.
In another analysis, Reeder added that the press conference “left the impression that the government is not in control of the situation,” as it did not provide clear answers as to why the drones were not detected or shot down.
The position of the army and military leadership Danish
The commander of the armed forces, Michael Hyldgaard, explained that the events constituted “actual operations,” emphasizing that the decision to shoot down drones was based on a comprehensive assessment of the risk of debris falling on civilians. He stressed that “shooting down a single drone will not solve the problem; the goal is to gather data to identify those responsible.”.
Consideration of invoking Article 4 of NATO
The defense minister revealed that the government is considering invoking Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO), which allows any member state to call for an emergency meeting if it feels its security or safety is threatened. He emphasized that this would be "unprecedented in Denmark's history," noting that his country has already contacted NATO and the European Union.
Requesting assistance from Ukraine and building a "wall of drones"“
Poulsen announced that Denmark would benefit from Ukraine’s experience in countering drone attacks, revealing plans to create a “wall of drones” that would form a defensive shield against threats coming from Eastern Europe.
Responses from other airports
In Odense, Hans Okholm Airport Director Hans Okholm confirmed to the Fyens Stiftstidende newspaper that the airport had not experienced similar activity, but stressed the seriousness of the matter, explaining that the airport had increased its level of surveillance with the help of specialized companies such as MyDefence, Bionic System Solutions and CircleScope.
Conflicting information in Holstebro
TV Midtvest reported that initial reports spoke of police seeing a drone over a military barracks in Holstbro, but police later clarified that this was a “misunderstanding” based on eyewitness testimony.
Next steps
The defense minister said a meeting would be held on Friday to discuss building stronger defense capabilities against aerial threats, emphasizing that "technology is evolving rapidly, and this is a race against time." He also stressed that "the new reality requires greater preparedness to counter hybrid attacks.".
Thus, the identity of the party responsible for these attacks remains unknown so far, while the Danish authorities have pledged to find the perpetrators and strengthen the country’s defense capabilities to protect its airspace and airports.
