Overview

• Unidentified drones were reported over Aalborg, Esbjerg, Sønderborg and the Skrydstrup air base, prompting an overnight closure of Aalborg’s airspace and flight diversions in Denmark’s second such incident this week.
• Police, military and intelligence services opened a joint probe; no operators were detained and authorities declined to shoot down the drones after a risk assessment that emphasized civilian safety.
• Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen described the operation as a systematic hybrid attack executed by a professional actor, and Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said Denmark will move to acquire new systems to detect and neutralize drones.
• NATO said Hungarian Gripens scrambled from Šiauliai to intercept a Su-30, a Su-35 and three MiG-31s flying near Danish airspace, and Secretary General Mark Rutte pledged support to Denmark as Copenhagen weighs possible Article 4 consultations.
• Russia rejected any role in the drone incidents as “groundless” accusations, and NORAD separately tracked two Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighters near Alaska’s ADIZ without any breach of U.S. or Canadian airspace.