Lyce · Hybrid Watch
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Drone sightings force Copenhagen Airport to suspend flights.
On the evening of 22 September, sightings of two or three large drones near Copenhagen Airport prompted the suspension of take-offs and landings for nearly four hours. Operations stopped at approximately 20:26 local time, with flights resuming after midnight. The disruption left passengers waiting in terminals and aboard aircraft, while incoming flights were diverted to alternative airports. The airport warned that delays and cancellations would continue after reopening. Police said the drones approached from multiple directions before disappearing, and none were captured during the response. Investigators reported that the drones switched their lights on and off and examined several possible explanations for their origin, including launches from ships. Police described the operator as capable, without identifying a particular organisation or state. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen characterised the episode as a serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure and placed it within the broader context of European airspace violations and infrastructure disruptions. However, Russian responsibility and a connection to the simultaneous airport incident in Norway had not been established in the cited reporting.
E/M/R/S scores
- EExistence0/4 · Not assessed
- MIntent0/4 · Not assessed
- RRussian actor link0/4 · Not assessed
- SRussian state responsibility0/4 · Not assessed
Facts
No facts
Sources
-
- Role
- discovery_lead
- Date
- 2025-09-22T15:43:07Z
On the evening of 22 September, sightings of two or three large drones near Copenhagen Airport prompted the suspension of take-offs and landings for nearly four hours. Operations stopped at approximately 20:26 local time, with flights resuming after midnight. The disruption left passengers waiting in terminals and aboard aircraft, while incoming flights were diverted to alternative airports. The airport warned that delays and cancellations would continue after reopening. Police said the drones approached from multiple directions before disappearing, and none were captured during the response. Investigators reported that the drones switched their lights on and off and examined several possible explanations for their origin, including launches from ships. Police described the operator as capable, without identifying a particular organisation or state. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen characterised the episode as a serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure and placed it within the broader context of European airspace violations and infrastructure disruptions. However, Russian responsibility and a connection to the simultaneous airport incident in Norway had not been established in the cited reporting.