Denmark bans drone flights after fresh sightings at military bases

Denmark orders a ban on civil drone flights, after drones were observed at several military facilities overnight, following a week in which drone sorties caused the temporary closures of several Danish airports.

The Danish military says in a statement it has deployed “several capacities” in response to the overnight sightings at bases, declining further comment on the nature of its response.

Drone sorties earlier this week forced Denmark to shut airports, including a nearly four-hour closure of Copenhagen Airport on Monday.

Denmark has called the drones part of a “hybrid attack.” It has stopped short of saying definitively who it believes is responsible, but Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has suggested it could be Moscow, calling Russia the primary “country that poses a threat to European security.” The Kremlin denies blame.

Under the ban, civilian drones will be barred from Danish airspace from Monday through Friday of the coming week, when Denmark, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU for the second half of this year, will be hosting European leaders.