No Evidence of Hybrid Drone Attacks in Europe After One Month
A month after reports of drone sightings over critical infrastructure in Europe, investigations reveal that many incidents were misidentified. Authorities are now cautious, emphasizing the need for better detection systems while the media continues to report unverified claims.
Key facts
- Many reported drone sightings have been debunked as misidentifications.
- Authorities emphasize the need for better detection systems for drones.
- Governments are increasing security measures despite lack of evidence for coordinated attacks.
2 minute read
Danish authorities are still looking for proof that drones violated national airspace, and the uncertainty is starting to bite in Copenhagen. Two weeks of alarms at airports and military sites have produced briefings, press conferences and strong language about a capable actor and hybrid warfare, yet according to public broadcaster DR there is no concrete evidence that illegal drones were in the sky.
The vacuum has opened a political split. Alex Ahrendtsen of the Danish People’s Party calls the situation absurd. First officials could not chase down the drones or disable them, then they could not say where they came from or went, and now they cannot even confirm they existed. Carsten Bach of the Liberal Alliance is also unconvinced, arguing that without clear answers no one should assume anything about what happened over Danish airspace. Sascha Faxe of The Alternative takes the opposite view. She finds it hard to believe police and military would mobilize at scale for something they could not identify at all. If there were no drones, she warns, Denmark’s defenses against hybrid attacks are in worse shape than expected.
Experts say the truth may sit in the grey zone that modern drone incidents often occupy. Johan Gröne Christensen, a researcher on hybrid warfare at Aarhus University, believes activity likely occurred at Copenhagen Airport, which briefly shut on 22 September after reports of aerial objects. Video from that night showed slow moving lights, consistent with small drones, but difficult to identify, especially in darkness. The episode also fits a pattern seen recently in other European countries where Russia has been linked to hybrid pressure.
Investigators face hard technical limits. Small drones can be difficult to see on radar until they are close. Night operations complicate visual confirmation and distance judgment. DR.dk reports that some initial sightings at airports and military sites have already been ruled out, and both Copenhagen Police and the security service PET (Politiets Efterretningstjeneste, which is the Danish Security and Intelligence Service) are keeping their findings tight as inquiries continue.
Parliament is not done with the matter. Parties to the defense agreement are due a fresh briefing, where questions will focus on what was seen, what was ruled out, and how quickly authorities can verify future incidents. Whether Denmark faced a real incursion or a fog of misperception, the stakes are similar. Credibility, allied confidence, and the country’s readiness for low cost aerial disruption all depend on faster detection, firmer evidence, and clear lines of command the next time lights appear over the runway.
