Europe on High Alert as Drones Disrupt Air Traffic and Raise Security Fears
Europe is on high alert after a series of drone flyovers near critical infrastructure and military installations. Incidents have caused disruption to air traffic and raised concerns about potential security threats.
On Sept. 22, drones flew over Copenhagen Airport, leading to major disruptions. Similar incidents occurred in Germany and Denmark around the same time. In Germany, Munich Airport was shut down twice in less than 24 hours due to drone sightings, affecting over 6,500 passengers.
Authorities are investigating claims that unidentified drones may have been spying on critical infrastructure in Germany's Schleswig-Holstein state. The drone actions over the region were likely organized from a Russian tanker operating in the nearby Baltic Sea, which had the capability to launch and recover large drones.
NATO jets have been scrambled to escort Russian warplanes out of European airspace. On Sept. 10, a swarm of Russian drones flew into Poland's airspace, leading to a direct encounter between NATO and Moscow. Intrusions into NATO's airspace have reached an unprecedented scale in recent weeks, with some blamed on Russia.
European defense ministers have agreed to develop a 'drone wall' to better detect, track, and intercept drones violating Europe's airspace. The public and officials are alarmed by the mysterious drone flights, which have caused disruption and raised security concerns.
