COPENHUAGEN: Large drones that flew over Copenhagen airport for hours and caused its shutdown constituted the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date according to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
Airports in Copenhagen and Oslo reopened early Tuesday after unidentified drones in their airspace caused dozens of flights to be diverted or cancelled.
Frederiksen stated this incident aligns with recent drone attacks, airspace violations, and cyberattacks targeting European airports.
She specifically referenced similar drone incidents in Poland and Romania plus Russian fighter jets violating Estonia’s airspace.
Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster DR she could not rule out that Russia was behind the drone activity.
Moscow denied involvement with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticising her remarks as unfounded accusations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced what he called a Russian violation of Denmark’s airspace on social media platform X.
Danish police confirmed they had been unable to identify the drone operator despite an ongoing investigation.
Copenhagen police inspector Jens Jespersen said the number, size, flight patterns, and duration indicated a capable actor was responsible.
He emphasised it was an actor that had the capacity, the will, and the tools to make their presence known.
Danish intelligence service PET stated the country faces a high threat of sabotage from such activities.
PET operations director Flemming Drejer suggested someone may want to stress Denmark out and observe its reactions.
Jespersen revealed several large drones flew over Copenhagen airport for more than three hours on Monday evening.
Police decided against shooting down the drones due to safety concerns about falling debris near planes and housing.
The inspector noted the drones could have been controlled from many kilometres away possibly from a ship.
Copenhagen airport’s coastal location on the Oresund Strait between Sweden and Denmark makes ship-based control feasible.
Airport officials confirmed air traffic resumed early Tuesday but 20,000 passengers were affected by disruptions.
Thirty-one flights were diverted and more than 100 cancellations occurred with heavy delays expected throughout Tuesday.
German traveller Eckart Nikolai Bierduempel expressed awareness that Russia’s hybrid war is expanding steadily.
Copenhagen police are cooperating with Oslo colleagues after drone sightings also closed the Norwegian capital’s airport.
Oslo airport spokeswoman Monica Fasting confirmed two different drone sightings caused several hours of closure.
Fourteen flights were diverted from Oslo airport according to official figures.
Norway’s government revealed Russia violated its airspace three times this year in April, July, and August.
Norwegian intelligence service PST confirmed its involvement in the investigation into the drone incidents.
Separately, a Singaporean couple was arrested in Oslo suspected of illegally flying a drone but authorities see no connection to the airport incidents. – AFP