COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) – A skilled drone pilot flew two or three large, unidentified drones at Copenhagen airport on Monday night, closing airspace for hours as unknown assailants appeared to be showing off their capabilities at Scandinavia’s biggest airport.
Jess Jesspersen, a senior police inspector at a press conference, chose not to fire down the drone because the risk was too high as the airport was a runway plane and a nearby fuel depot.
Jespersen called the pilots “a capable actor” and said the perpetrators seemed to show off their skills and perhaps intended to practice their techniques. The drone disappeared after a few hours.
There was no indication that drone pilots were intended to harm anyone, he added. The drone’s lights were on/off and appeared to be involved in different flight patterns.
“It all shows you’re not out to attack anyone, but you’re showing off and probably trying to practice,” he said of the pilot.
Still, he said, authorities couldn’t rule out the possibility that the drones were part of the Russian hybrid attack.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused the allegation.
“Every time I hear an unfounded accusation,” he said in a call with a reporter Tuesday.
Two or three drones appeared to have flew a few miles (miles) to arrive at the airport. Investigators are looking at how the drone arrived at the airport – whether it was on land or perhaps by boat.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredericksen called it “the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date.”
Flights at the airport resumed early on Tuesday, but delays and cancellations continued until the morning.
“Copenhagen Airport has reopened after being closed due to drone activity. However, there are delays and cancelled departures. Passengers are encouraged to check with the airline for more information,” the official website states.
A drone incident on the same night at an airport in Oslo, Norway, forced all traffic to travel to one runway, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK. Traffic later returned to normal and it is unclear who was responsible.
Naviair Director Morten Fruensgaard, left, Naviair Kristoffer’s Plenge-Brandt Center, and Operations Manager Police Inspector Jens Jespersen held a joint press conference at police headquarters in Copenhagen on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, with the drones closing in the evening after the drones approached Copenhagen on Monday evening. (via Emil Helms/Ritzau Scanpix)
Jespersen said there was no immediate link to the Oslo-Copenhagen case, but said authorities would investigate potential ties.
Security concerns in Northern Europe are Russia’s sabotage activities And multiple Drone and Fighter jet invasion It has been in NATO airspace in recent weeks.
2023, London’s Gatwick Airport closed its runway for almost an hour after the drone was reported nearby. December 2018over 140,000 travelers were stuck or delayed during the Christmas season.
