Denmark beefs up defences amid drone attacks

On Thursday night, Danish authorities suspended operations at two major airports after reports of drones in the sky; similar incidents were reported at other air havens around the country. Earlier on Monday, drone incursions also briefly shut down airports in Copenhagen and Oslo, leading to flight cancellations and thousands of stranded passengers, Politico reported.

In amessage to the nation posted on social media, Frederiksen warned:

"We are witnessing the beginning of a hybrid war against Europe... The pattern is already being seen, and it is disturbing."

She said investigators had not yet established who exactly was behind the attacks on airports and other critical infrastructure, but the prime minister made it clear that a Russian trail was being considered:

"It can at least be argued that there is above all one country that poses a threat to the security of Europe - and that is Russia."

Amid a widening series of airspace violations in Europe - involving Russian planes and drones - Estonia and Poland have initiated urgent consultations of NATO allies, accusing Moscow of the incursions. Russia denies involvement in the Estonian incident and says the crossing of the Polish border by a swarm of drones was an accident.

Hours after Frederiksen's address, Aalborg airport in northern Denmark was briefly closed again - for the second night in a row - because of the suspected presence of a drone. The prime minister admitted that "no one can guarantee the complete absence of drones in our skies", but emphasised: the country has raised the level of preparedness. In the near future, the military and police will increase the use of counter-drone means to protect key infrastructure. Ukraine is sharing its expertise in combating drone threats, she said.

At the strategic level, Copenhagen is accelerating its defence build-up. In early September, the Danish Defence Ministry announced the purchase of the Franco-Italian SAMP/T air defence system for DKK 58 billion (about €7.7 billion) - the largest arms purchase in the country's history. Concluding the address, Frederiksen called on European states to increase defence spending and expand the production capacity of the defence industry: the events of recent days, she said, clearly demonstrate the importance of these steps.

Danish authorities are continuing to investigate and increase defence measures, and the topic of hybrid threats - from drones to cyber attacks and infrastructure sabotage - is at the top of the EU and NATO agenda. Copenhagen emphasises that a successful response depends on allied cohesion and the resilience of critical systems at the national and European levels.