“What we saw on Monday is the most serious attack so far on Denmark’s critical infrastructure,” said Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Tuesday, commenting on the presence of drones over Copenhagen Airport. The Danish head of government stressed that “no options are being excluded as to who is behind this.” On Monday evening, two or three large drones appeared over Kastrup Airport, approaching from different directions. “A competent perpetrator was behind this,” assessed Jens Jespersen of the Danish police.
Unidentified drones appeared in the airspace near Copenhagen Airport on Monday evening, Reuters reported. The airport was closed from 8:30 p.m. All departures were halted for four hours, while arrivals were diverted to other airports in Denmark and southern Sweden. Around 100 flights were affected, and further disruptions are expected on Tuesday.
According to Jens Jespersen of the Danish police, a competent perpetrator was behind the drone flights observed Monday evening over Kastrup Airport.
“This is someone who has certain skills, tools, and the will to demonstrate them in this way—and perhaps also to test them,” Jespersen emphasized at a press conference.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing lights on the objects switching on and off.
Earlier, police confirmed that two or three unidentified drones had been sighted. “These were large objects, and they came from different directions,” Jespersen clarified. He did not rule out that the drones could have been launched from a ship and flown many kilometers. Kastrup Airport is located near the Øresund Strait.
Unrelated to the Oslo Incident?
According to the police, there is no indication that the incident was connected to the near-simultaneous closure of Gardermoen Airport in Oslo, after drones were also observed nearby. Norway’s main airport resumed operations overnight from Monday to Tuesday.
Following the Copenhagen incident, police launched an investigation in cooperation with intelligence services and the military.
“A Nightmare for Danish Authorities”
“At the press conference, police said a competent perpetrator was behind the drones. This means it could be a foreign state. The unmanned aerial vehicles behaved in a way that ensured they would be detected,” noted the newspaper Berlingske.
The daily Politiken offered a similar assessment, interpreting the phrase “competent perpetrator” as a synonym for a state actor with significant resources, rather than private individuals. The commentary recalled that Danish authorities have long warned that Russia might carry out hybrid attacks on Denmark to sow fear in society and weaken support for Ukraine.
Berlingske called the incidents “a true nightmare for Danish authorities.”
“There is no effective defense against drones, especially in densely populated areas. Copenhagen Airport has radar that can detect such objects, but bringing them down is a long way off. It is both difficult and dangerous, which is why police chose to wait in this case,” the paper stressed. Residential neighborhoods are located near the airport.
On July 1, Denmark introduced new rules allowing the military to “neutralize” foreign drones near military facilities and training grounds. In addition, civilian managers of infrastructure, including airports and seaports, are soon expected to be granted the right to neutralize “non-cooperative objects.” The draft law is currently under consultation.