Denmark has temporarily banned civil drone flights in airspace as it prepares to hold a top European Union meeting on defense and war in Ukraine.
The ban, which runs Monday through Friday, is intended to eliminate the risk that “hostile” drones are mistaken for legal or vice versa, the country’s Transport Minister Thomas Danielson told CNN.
Last week, several unexplained sightings of drones at civilian airports and military bases were reported in Denmark. The incident caused several airports to temporarily close and disrupt travel for tens of thousands of people.
The top European leaders descended on Wednesday in Copenhagen to discuss defense and Ukraine at a Council of Europe meeting, followed the following day by the European Political Community Summit.
“We are currently in a difficult security situation. When we take responsibility for safety during the EU summit, we must ensure the best possible working conditions for the military and police,” Denmark’s Defense Minister Troels Rand Posen said in a statement on Sunday.
Europe has been increasingly wary in recent weeks due to a series of drone sightings, Russian drones invading NATO airspaces in Poland and Romania, and Russian fighter jets’ violations in Estonia airspace.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredericksen said that while authorities cannot conclude who is behind the sightings of the drone, “at least we can conclude that there are mainly countries that pose a threat to Europe’s safety. That’s Russia.” The Kremlin denied involvement in the sighting of the drone and violated Estonian airspace.
On Monday, Romanian Defense Minister Ionats Mosianu said another drone was found near the border with Ukraine a few weeks after Bucharest alleged that the Russian drone had violated the airspace while attacking its neighbors.
“We found another drone, another Russian drone that fell into our territory in the Danube Delta,” Mosteanu told a panel at the Warsaw Security Forum. “And this has been common for the past three and a half years,” he said.
In response to an unknown drone flight in Denmark, NATO said on Saturday it was upgrading its defensive measures in the Baltic Sea region.
The next day, FSG Hamburg, a German air defense frigate with NATO’s “Baltic Sentry” mission, arrived in Copenhagen and helped to strengthen airspace surveillance during the upcoming EU summit, the Danish Ministry of Defense said in a statement to the Associated Press.
The “Baltic Sentry” mission began in January in response to a series of incidents in which power cables, communication links and gas pipelines on the Baltic floors were damaged.
Now, following the Russian drone invasion followed by the invasion of Poland, the newly launched “East Sentry” mission has been added, with the aim of strengthening the defenses of the eastern side of Europe.
Furthermore, Germany has announced that it will provide “Countersmal’s unmanned aerial vehicle system” in Danish demands that drones be detected using radar, optical and acoustic technologies, according to the Associated Press.
The French forces said Monday they deployed a temporary joint task force in Denmark in response to drones in the country’s airspace consisting of 35 staff, a Fennec helicopter and a drone facility.
“This task force reinforces already deployed Denmark and European assets and highlights European solidarity in defense against serious threats,” the military said in a statement.
Sweden has also committed to lending anti-drone systems to Denmark, but details remain unreleased, the AP said.
Ukraine is also taking part in efforts to strengthen Denmark’s safety.
Ukrainian military officials on Monday said Ukrainian military personnel would travel to Denmark to “support partners according to the recent appearance of unidentified drones in the country.”
“Participants will perform practical tasks, exchange knowledge and experience, improve their training levels and enhance their ability to counter aviation threats,” the military added.
