Zelensky: Russia is behind drones that paralyzed airports in Denmark and Norway.

Drones in Norway and Denmark

According to The Sun: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the mysterious drones that forced the closure of major airports in Denmark and Norway were likely launched by Russians.

During the incident, Copenhagen Airport, the largest in the Nordic countries, was closed for four hours, while operations at Oslo Airport were suspended for three hours due to the sighting of large drones nearby.

The footage will show a drone flying near Copenhagen Airport X/OSINTdefender Reuters

Authorities are investigating the origin of the drones, noting that they may have been launched by a 'capable operator' who wanted to 'show off'.

Danish intelligence reported a 'high level of sabotage threat' due to the detected drones. Senior Inspector of Copenhagen Police Jes Jespersen said:

“Everything indicates that you are not trying to attack someone, but just want to show your skills, perhaps practice.”

Zelensky pointed to Moscow's involvement in these incidents, emphasizing the 'violations by Russia' of NATO airspace. Although he did not provide specific evidence, he noted:

“We focused on violations of the airspace of NATO member states, including on September 22 in Copenhagen.”

Details of the Incident

Oslo Airport closed its airspace at midnight local time, and all flights were redirected to nearby airports. Danish police earlier reported that two or three large drones were sighted over Copenhagen Airport, prompting the closure of the airspace.

Authorities decided not to shoot down the drones due to the high risk associated with the presence of passengers, aircraft on runways, and nearby fuel depots.

They also do not rule out the possibility that the drones could be part of a Russian hybrid attack. Danish Intelligence Chief Flemming Dreyer noted:

“We are facing a high threat of sabotage in Denmark. Someone may not be trying to attack us, but rather test our response.”

Security and Europe

Security threats in Europe have increased due to intensified Russian sabotage and numerous incursions of drones and fighters into NATO airspace. Experts warn that these violations indicate more serious problems for European airports.

Colonel Simon Diggins believes that drone incursions are part of a 'larger Russian destabilization plan.' He noted:

“This is a test of our defense systems, resilience, and infrastructure to identify our weaknesses.”

Over the weekend, terminals faced numerous cyberattacks, leading to failures in registration systems, leaving passengers without fuel. Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin airports faced significant issues that forced airlines back to paper solutions for checking in travelers.

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The EU Cybersecurity Agency confirmed that malicious software was used to block airport systems. Ransomware, an integral part of the criminal world, infects core systems to demand payments in bitcoins for restoring their normal functioning. However, experts believe that the recent wave of chaos around airports appears to be a state attack.

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Russians Risk World War

These events occurred after three Russian MiG-31 fighters illegally entered Estonian airspace, prompting an urgent NATO meeting. The fighters were over the island of Vaindloo for about 12 minutes.

Shortly after this, Polish authorities reported 'low flights' of Russian military aircraft near the oil and gas extraction platform.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump commented on this irresponsible action, emphasizing that the incursion could cause serious problems.

Such incursions have occurred before but rarely lasted this long. While in Estonian airspace, the planes circled as if waiting for a reaction. All three aircraft had their transponders turned off.

NATO allies sent Italian F-35s to take control of the situation regarding the Russian aircraft. Two weeks ago, Polish authorities recorded 19 violations of their airspace.

This prompted an urgent response: fighters were scrambled, and Patriot air defense systems were put on alert. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that the incident brought Poland closer to military conflict 'than ever since World War II.'

NATO forces shot down up to four drones. This was the first instance since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 when NATO directly confronted Putin's forces.

It was also recorded that a Russian drone flew over Romania for 50 minutes on Saturday.

Russian MiG-31 flying over the Baltic Sea In recent weeks, the security situation in Europe has remained tense due to the rising activity of Russian drones and military aircraft in NATO airspace. These incidents indicate an escalation of tensions that could have serious consequences for European countries, jeopardizing the stability of the region. In light of these events, NATO countries are likely to continue strengthening their defensive positions and implementing new security measures at their borders.