Flights were grounded. Runways cleared. Passengers stuck in place.
On Monday night, mysterious drones were spotted near Copenhagen Airport, forcing Scandinavia’s busiest airport to shut down operations. Within hours, another incident unfolded in Norway, where Oslo Airport closed its airspace for four tense hours after drones were reported overhead.
Authorities now say this wasn’t a glitch or a mistake — it was a “serious attack.”
The announcement came Tuesday as world leaders gathered in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. With tensions already high in Europe over recent airspace violations and digital attacks, NATO officials responded quickly, warning that the incident was part of a growing list of threats they can no longer ignore.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the drone intrusion at Copenhagen Airport “the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date.” Police say they are still investigating, but they believe the drones were flown by a skilled operator.
“This is an actor who has the capabilities, the will and the tools,” said Danish police Chief Superintendent Jens Jespersen. He added that shooting the drones down wasn’t an option due to the risk of exploding fuel depots and the number of passengers nearby.
Although no one has taken responsibility, several European leaders suspect Russian involvement.
“I cannot rule out that it is Russia,” Frederiksen told reporters. “We have seen drones over Poland. We have seen activity in Romania. We have seen violations of Estonian airspace.”
Similar drone activity was reported in Eastern Europe earlier this month, with Estonia and Poland each requesting emergency NATO meetings. Some officials have described a pattern of behavior aimed at testing the defenses and reactions of NATO countries.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told reporters it was “too early to say” who was behind the Copenhagen incident. Still, he warned against a “continuation of this dangerous pattern,” and said NATO is ready to defend “every inch” of its territory.
Update: A special police operation is underway in Denmark after reports of strange large drones over multiple military bases. The same drones subsequently shut down Copenhagen Airport, leading to widespread flight disruptions. Developing. pic.twitter.com/WVvnuRqIK5
— UAP Reporting Center (@UAPReportingCnt) September 23, 2025
Update: A special police operation is underway in Denmark after reports of strange large drones over multiple military bases. The same drones subsequently shut down Copenhagen Airport, leading to widespread flight disruptions. Developing. The Kremlin quickly denied involvement. Russian officials called the accusations “unfounded” and said the West was using the events to provoke a military confrontation.
But many European leaders aren’t convinced.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, posted on social media that “Europe’s critical infrastructure is at risk.” She said these drone sightings and other airspace violations are “persistent contestation at our borders.” Earlier this month, von der Leyen’s own plane lost GPS navigation during a flight over Eastern Europe, in what was suspected to be Russian GPS jamming.
NATO forces have already launched Operation “Eastern Sentry” this month — a move to strengthen security along Europe’s eastern flank. Now, EU leaders are considering building a “drone wall” along the border with Russia and Belarus.
Drones appeared over the capitals of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. The drones flew over military installations and civilian airports. In Copenhagen, the airport was suspended. pic.twitter.com/kkNTKIMSGU
— SD (@stringerukraine) September 22, 2025
In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned of tougher action and asked NATO allies for full support in the event of any future airspace violations. Britain also released a statement Monday, pledging to “confront planes operating in space without permission.”
As officials investigate who was behind the latest drone events, one thing is clear: tensions in Europe’s skies are rising — and fast.
At the United Nations in New York, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived Monday, calling it an “intense week” of diplomacy. He says his mission is to keep pressure on Russia and make sure the world stays focused on what’s happening back home.
“We are doing everything to stop the war,” he wrote Tuesday. “Now is the time for action.”
