COPENHAGEN: Unidentified drones flew over Danish military sites including its biggest base overnight following a slew of earlier sightings that Copenhagen has termed a "hybrid attack", hinting at possible Russian involvement. Neighbouring Norway was also investigating "possible sightings of drones" early on Saturday near its biggest military base, Orland, where its F-35 fighter jets are parked. Copenhagen will host a European Union summit gathering heads of government on Wednesday and Thursday.
Denmark has accepted a Swedish offer of Stockholm's anti-drone technology to ensure the meeting can proceed without disruption. In Denmark, drones were confirmed at "several military sites", a military spokesman said on Saturday, refusing to provide other details. Danish police said "one to two drones" were observed on Friday around 8:15 pm (1815 GMT) near and over the Karup military base, the country's biggest base which houses all of the armed forces' helicopters, airspace surveillance, flight school and support functions. Karup is also home to parts of the defence command.
Police spokesman Simon Skelkjaer said he could not comment on where the drones came from, adding: "We didn't take them down." Police were cooperating with the military in their investigation, he said. The Karup base shares its runways with the Midtjylland civilian airport, which was briefly closed, though no flights were affected as none were scheduled at that hour, Skelkjaer said.
In Norway, the military was collaborating with police to determine if it was indeed drones that were observed. "The sightings are probably drones but the investigation will find out what it was. As of now, we're handling it as a drone sighting," a spokesman for Norway's joint headquarters, Brynjar Stordal, said. "At least two drones" flew in a restricted area near the base "for around an hour" before they disappeared, he said. "They were not engaged by us." Mysterious drone observations across Denmark and Norway since Monday have prompted the closure of several airports. They followed drone incursions in Polish and Romanian territory and the violation of Estonian airspace by Russian fighter jets, which raised tensions in light of Russia's ongoing attack of Ukraine.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that "over recent days, Denmark has been the victim of hybrid attacks," referring to unconventional warfare. Investigators have so far failed to identify those responsible, but Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said on Thursday the flights appeared to be "the work of a professional actor". Frederiksen has pointed the finger at Russia. "There is one main country that poses a threat to Europe's security, and it is Russia."
Moscow said on Thursday it "firmly rejects" any suggestion that it was involved in the Danish incidents. Its embassy in Copenhagen called them "a staged provocation," in a post on social media. Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said earlier this week the aim of the attacks was "to spread fear, create division and frighten us".
The drone flights began just days after Denmark announced it would acquire long-range precision weapons for the first time, as Russia would pose a threat "for years to come". Hummelgaard said Copenhagen would also acquire new enhanced capabilities to detect and neutralise drones.
Defence ministers from around 10 EU countries agreed on Friday to make a so-called "drone wall" a priority for the bloc. EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said Europe needs to learn from Ukraine and swiftly build anti-drone defences. "We need to move fast," Kubilius said in an interview. "And we need to move, taking all the lessons from Ukraine and making this drone wall together with Ukraine."
Russia on Saturday blasted the EU's plans to beef up its defences against drones, saying the bloc's response to unidentified unmanned aircraft crossing its borders would only increase tensions. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the measures would lead to "an increase in military and political tensions on our continent," according to state news agency RIA Novosti. — AFP
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