The audit body directs its harshest criticism at the Danish Ministry of Defence due to serious security shortcomings.

According to TV2, the Danish State Audit Office (Statsrevisorerne), based on a new report from the Court of Audit (Rigsrevisionen), has issued its strongest possible rebuke to the Ministry of Defence (Forsvarsministeriet) for serious security gaps in the protection of military areas. This level of criticism, termed a "severe reprimand with special attention to Parliament," is the most severe that the office can issue against a government institution. The office indicated that these gaps have existed for years, despite the ministry's awareness of them.

Exposed security lapses within the facilities

According to the source, the Audit Bureau's report revealed shortcomings in the protection of confidential meetings, where unauthorized individuals were able to eavesdrop on classified conversations because one of the central rooms was not adequately soundproofed. The report also revealed that an alarm system was located in an unsecured area, and when the Defence Intelligence Service (Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste) sounded a real alarm, security personnel did not intervene, believing it to be a technician's error.

Availability Weapons information without sufficient controls

The commission also criticized the Ministry of Defense's handling of weapons information. A large number of employees were granted access to sensitive data concerning the number, type, and location of weapons without assessing whether this was necessary for their duties. The report emphasized that this poses a significant risk of the information falling into the hands of hostile entities or being exploited for espionage or sabotage purposes.

The Defense Minister responded: “We take criticism seriously.”

In response to the intense criticism, Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen issued a statement saying that his ministry takes the criticism “very seriously” and is already working on modernizing defense facilities and information infrastructure, including strengthening the protection of military areas and sensitive information. He added that improvement measures began in 2024, and that a new security strategy for facilities will be released during the first quarter of 2026.

Security threats are escalating

The report emphasized that the threats facing Denmark increased in severity during the period 2020-2024, particularly from Russia and China, making security shortcomings more serious. Despite this, the Ministry failed to adhere to its own security standards, prompting the agency to warn that these gaps could have "serious consequences" for the security of the armed forces.

The evaluation was submitted to the review board.

According to TV2, the State Auditor's Office uses a specific scale to classify the severity of criticism, as follows:
– Positive criticism: Praising the entity and appreciating its performance in a highly positive manner.
– Limited criticism: an indication that the performance has shortcomings, but it is not serious.
- Moderate criticism: The performance is considered unsatisfactory and requires clear improvement.
- Sharp criticism: A strong rebuke with a warning about the seriousness of the situation.
- The harshest criticism: a severe rebuke with special attention to Parliament regarding the seriousness of the situation.

The oversight reports also confirm that the Ministry of Defence has been aware for years of security vulnerabilities in its facilities but has failed to adequately address them. These criticisms come at a time when the Defence Intelligence Service is warning that threats against Denmark have become more serious, particularly from Russia and China, making the issue a top priority in the country's defense policy.