Overview
- Recent sightings have forced temporary shutdowns at major hubs in Copenhagen, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Brussels, Liège, Oslo and Gothenburg, canceling dozens of flights.
- Reports also describe drones over military sites, power plants, hospitals and defense factories, with Germany averaging about three incursions daily.
- Some probes focus on nearby Russian-linked vessels, including four ships off Denmark during the Copenhagen closures and one later boarded by French forces.
- Senior figures have publicly suggested a Kremlin-linked hybrid campaign, and officials note timing with Belgium’s frozen-asset push and Sweden’s planned fighter-jet sale to Ukraine.
- Governments are funding countermeasures, from an $84 million laser system deal and Swedish interceptor drones to EU plans for a continent-wide detection and jamming “drone wall” targeted for 2027.