Growing Tension in the Scandinavian Countries After a Series of Incidents Related to Drones

Norway and Denmark are experiencing a state of security alert following repeated incidents of drones that disrupted air traffic in recent days, raising concerns about threats targeting critical infrastructure.

In the latest development, Norwegian authorities announced the confiscation of a drone operated by a foreign man in his fifties near Oslo Airport, within a restricted area, without affecting flight operations.

The public prosecutor confirmed that the man was not arrested, but he will be subjected to investigation, while refraining from disclosing his nationality.

In contrast, Denmark announced that the sightings of unidentified drones at its airports this week were attributed to a "professional entity," describing the situation as a "complex attack" aimed at instilling fear, emphasizing that it will enhance its capabilities to monitor and neutralize these drones.

The presence of drones over Aalborg, Esbjerg, and Sonderborg airports, as well as Skrydstrup Air Base, led to the closure of some for hours, just days after the closure of Copenhagen International Airport in a similar incident.

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stressed that the operation is systematic and coordinated, but denied the existence of a direct military threat to his country.

These developments come in the context of broader European tensions, as Poland and Romania have witnessed similar incidents, while Estonia accused Russian fighters of violating its airspace.

Although Moscow denied any involvement in these incidents, they coincide with Copenhagen's announcement of its intention to acquire long-range precision weapons for the first time, in a move it described as necessary to counter the expected Russian threat that is likely to persist for years.