Oslo : Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday that a drone incident shut down Copenhagen Airport for several hours late Monday and called it “a serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure.” Furthermore, she urged that the incident should be seen within the broader context of hybrid threats across Europe.
Frederiksen told reporters, Xinhua News Agency reported, “We have seen drones over Poland, activity in Romania, violations of Estonian airspace, cyberattacks on European airports over the weekend, and now drones in Denmark and Norway.” In addition, she underlined that Russian involvement cannot be ruled out and noted that Europe faces “a series of hybrid attacks and sabotage attempts.”
Copenhagen’s Kastrup Airport suspended operations for around four hours on Monday evening, affecting approximately 20,000 passengers. As a result, travellers missed study trips, honeymoons, business journeys, and sports events.
The Danish National Police activated the National Operational Staff, a special crisis response unit, at its lowest level to ensure increased surveillance and coordinate agencies. Police are treating the case as a drone attack.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Norway, Oslo’s Gardermoen Airport also closed around midnight Monday after officials spotted drones. The airport reopened at around 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Norway’s Police Security Service is in dialogue with Danish authorities to determine whether the two incidents connect.
Several flights to Oslo diverted to other Norwegian airports, leaving passengers stranded overnight. Airlines reported delays, cancellations, and rerouted services throughout Tuesday. Consequently, Avinor, the state-owned operator of Norwegian airports, warned travelers to expect continued disruption.
On September 12, the Danish government approved the largest arms purchase in the country’s history: a 58-billion Danish kroner (9.1 billion US dollars) acquisition of ground-based air defence systems. Following this, Denmark’s Ministry of Defense said the deal includes eight medium- and long-range air defense systems supplied by several European manufacturers from France, Italy, Germany, and Norway.
Denmark has not possessed ground-based air defence systems since 2005. The new package will introduce SAMP/T long-range systems from a Franco-Italian consortium and medium-range systems from manufacturers in Norway, Germany, and France. Moreover, the ministry added that the systems will provide nationwide coverage, strengthening protection for cities, military installations, and critical infrastructure. Officials expect the first unit to become operational in 2025, with gradual deployment thereafter.
In contrast, this announcement follows an initial package unveiled in June worth over 6 billion Danish kroner, aimed at quickly fielding air-defense capability. Together, these procurements create a layered defense of Danish airspace.
–IANS
