Hybrid Attack Suspected as Drones Swarm Denmark’s Largest Military Base

Unidentified drones were spotted near Karup airbase, Denmark’s largest military facility, overnight Friday, marking the latest incident in a series of aerial incursions that Danish authorities have labeled a “hybrid attack.” The base, which houses all of the Danish Armed Forces’ helicopters and airspace surveillance, briefly closed its airspace to commercial traffic.

The latest sighting occurred around 8:15 PM local time and reportedly lasted for several hours. Though the civil airspace closure had no practical impact as no commercial flights were scheduled, the Danish Defence Ministry confirmed that drones were observed near multiple military installations across the country.

A Pattern of Incursions

The suspicious activity is part of a wave of drone incidents that have recently disrupted air traffic in the Nordic country:

• Airport Closures: Earlier in the week, drone sightings forced the temporary shutdown of major hubs, including Copenhagen Airport and other facilities like Aalborg and Billund airports—some of which share space with military sites.
• Regional Activity: Similar unexplained drone sightings have been reported in neighboring NATO countries, including Germany (over the Schleswig-Holstein region bordering Denmark), Norway (near the Orland airbase where F-35 fighter jets are stationed), and at Vilnius airport in Lithuania.

Security Concerns and Accusations

Danish officials have characterized the systematic nature of the intrusions as the work of a “professional actor,” designed to interfere with the nation’s critical infrastructure.

• Hybrid Warfare: Authorities have described the events as a “hybrid attack,” which uses a mix of conventional and non-military tactics to create disruption and fear.
• Russia Denies Involvement: There is widespread suspicion that the incursions are part of an indirect aggression strategy by Russia against NATO nations supporting Ukraine. However, Danish authorities have cautioned that they currently have no concrete evidence to confirm Moscow’s involvement. The Russian embassy in Copenhagen has explicitly denied the “absurd speculations.”
• NATO on Alert: The Danish drone incidents follow other alleged Russian incursions into the airspace of NATO members, including Poland, Estonia, and Romania, intensifying security concerns across the alliance.