Denmark blames “professional actor” for overnight hybrid drone attack

Unidentified drones were spotted at four Danish airports on the night of September 24–25, 2025, the Danish national police announced. 

Drones were reportedly observed at Aalborg (AAL), Esbjerg (EBJ), and Sønderborg (SGD) airports, as well as near Skrydstrup Airport (SKS). Both Aalborg and Skrydstrup are dual-use airports sharing runways with the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF). Fighter Wing Skrydstrup is the homebase for the Danish F-16 and F-35 fighter aircraft. 

Video footage posted on X, taken by a local resident at 23:55 from the area of Egeparken public park in Aalborg, appears to show an unidentified object flying over the area. 

Drone activity grounds flights at Aalborg Airport 

According to a statement from the South Jutland Police, issued on September 25, 2025, the first reports of drone sightings came in just before 22:00 local time on September 24, 2025, with several drones displaying lights seen at all three airports. 

Aalborg Airport was the only one shut down due to drone sightings on the night of September 24, 2025, according to data from Flightradar24. The last arrival at Aalborg Airport was recorded at 21:17 local time, followed by a final departure at 21:19. 

After that, three incoming flights were redirected, and three flights were cancelled. Eurocontrol, an international organization managing air traffic across Europe, has now imposed a restriction on arrivals and departures at Aalborg Airport, maintaining a zero rate until 04:00 local time on September 25, 2025. 

Reports at three other airports still unverified, police say 

The police noted that while they continue to receive reports about drone sightings at Sønderborg and Esbjerg airports, as well as at Skrydstrup Air Base, these have not been verified.  

The latest confirmed sighting of an active drone occurred at 02:08 local time on the night of September 25, 2025. However, the police said that they have not yet been able to take down the drones or locate the drone operators. 

“It has not been possible to take down the drones themselves, which have flown over a very large area over a couple of hours,” Chief Police Inspector Jesper Bøjgaard Madsen said. “At this time, we have not apprehended the drone operators either, but it is clear that the next step is to delve into all the clues and observations we have collected.” 

Recent drone incidents across Nordic airspace 

The latest breach follows two similar drone incidents in the Nordic region on September 22, 2025. 

Copenhagen Airport (CPH) announced that all flights were suspended for four hours due to reports of “three or four large drones” flying near the airport. Police also confirmed a drone was spotted near Oslo Airport (OSL) in Norway on the same day. 

Although authorities have not named any suspects in the airspace breach, Danish media suggests that the drones responsible for the disruptions at Copenhagen Airport may have been transported to Denmark by ships, possibly using them as platforms for launching or landing.  

A systematic “hybrid attack” 

In a conference held on the morning of September 25, 2025, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen qualified the drone sightings as a systematic hybrid attack. 

“There can be no doubt that everything points to this being the work of a professional actor when we are talking about such a systematic operation in so many locations at virtually the same time,” Poulsen said. 

The ministry added that while the exact location from which the drones originated is unclear as of now, “they have not come from a long distance” and were instead launched “locally”. 

Poulsen said that although the armed forces can shoot down drones if required, firing near airports surrounded by homes and fuel depots would be unsafe. 

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen suggested that Russian involvement is a possibility, referencing recent drone activities in Polish, Estonian, Romanian airspace and elsewhere.  

After a meeting of the North Atlantic Council on September 23, 2025, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the alliance was ready to use force “based on available intelligence regarding the threat posed.”