On Wednesday, Denmark was compelled to shut down Aalborg Airport in the northern region after multiple unidentified drones were detected within its airspace. This incident follows similar drone sightings near Copenhagen Airport earlier in the week. Additional drone detections were reported near several other Danish airports on Thursday.
Although the origin of these drones remains unconfirmed, earlier this month, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that entered Polish and Romanian airspace were identified as Russian-made.
Estonia has also reported incursions by Russian military aircraft into its airspace, raising concerns about escalating tensions in the region.
Countries Reporting Airspace Violations
Denmark
Authorities in Denmark announced early Thursday that multiple drones were observed near Aalborg Airport, located in the Jutland peninsula. This airport serves both civilian and military flights, and its temporary closure disrupted military activities, according to law enforcement officials.
The Danish police noted that these drone sightings mirrored the pattern seen on Monday when flights at Copenhagen Airport were suspended for four hours due to the presence of large, unidentified drones near the capital.
“At this stage, it is unclear what the drones’ objectives are or who is responsible,” Danish police told Reuters.
The Danish military is collaborating with police agencies to investigate the incidents. By Thursday, the drones had exited Aalborg’s airspace, but new sightings were reported near airports in Esbjerg, Sønderborg, and Skrydstrup in western Denmark.
Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen described the pattern as systematic and characterized it as a “hybrid attack,” though he stopped short of directly blaming Russia. He emphasized that Denmark does not currently perceive a direct military threat.
Poland
On September 9 and into the early hours of September 10, Polish and NATO forces engaged Russian drones that violated Polish airspace amid ongoing Russian air strikes on Ukraine, which borders Poland to the northwest.
Poland temporarily closed at least three airports, including Warsaw Chopin Airport, the country’s busiest, and urged residents to remain indoors during the security operations.
The Polish military’s Operational Command confirmed repeated drone incursions during the Russian attacks on Ukraine.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk publicly identified the drones as Russian and described the events as a “large-scale provocation.” He affirmed Poland’s readiness to counter such threats and stressed the seriousness of the situation.
Romania
Since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, Romania has experienced drone debris falling within its borders. On September 13, Romanian authorities deployed two F-16s and two Eurofighter jets to intercept a Russian drone that breached their airspace during a Russian offensive on Ukraine.
The Romanian Ministry of National Defence advised citizens to seek shelter during the incident. The jets pursued the drone until it vanished from radar near the village of Chilia Veche, close to the Ukrainian border.
Estonia
On September 19, Estonia reported that three Russian fighter jets entered its airspace. Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna highlighted that Russia had violated Estonian airspace four times in 2025, but this particular incursion involving multiple fighter aircraft was unprecedented in its audacity.
NATO’s Reaction
Following the drone incursions into Poland on September 10, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated that the alliance’s air defense systems were activated and effectively protected NATO territory as intended.
The response involved a coordinated effort utilizing missile defense systems and aircraft from various NATO members, including Dutch F-35 fighters, Italian AWACS surveillance planes, NATO’s Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft, and German Patriot missile batteries.
In response to Poland’s request, NATO convened consultations under Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, which allows members to seek urgent discussions if their security or territorial integrity is perceived to be at risk. This mechanism precedes the potential activation of Article 5, which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all.
Rutte emphasized the alliance’s solidarity with Poland and condemned Russia’s reckless actions, noting that these violations are part of a broader pattern rather than isolated events.
NATO held another meeting on September 23 at Estonia’s request, reiterating that Russia bears full responsibility for these provocative actions, which increase the risk of miscalculations and endanger lives.
Is Russia Probing NATO’s Defenses?
Ukrainian officials assert that Russia’s airspace violations are intentional provocations designed to test NATO’s resolve.
Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, tweeted on September 10 that Russian drone incursions into Poland during the large-scale attack on Ukraine demonstrate President Putin’s growing sense of impunity due to a lack of adequate consequences for previous offenses.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed this sentiment on September 13, stating that the Russian military precisely plans drone routes and operational durations, indicating deliberate expansion of the conflict.
Several NATO members share this view. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told parliament that the drone incursions were unlikely accidental, as the drones did not need to traverse NATO airspace to reach Ukraine.
However, some experts caution that these incursions might not be intentional. Marina Miron, a drone warfare specialist at King’s College London, explained that drones operating on autopilot rely on GPS coordinates and may stray if their signals are jammed, sometimes crashing or running out of fuel far from their intended targets.
Miron also noted that Russia employs inexpensive “decoy” drones, such as Gerbera models, to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses. These decoys were reportedly involved in the Polish airspace breach.
Russia’s Response to Accusations
Moscow denies targeting European countries intentionally and accuses them of fabricating claims to escalate tensions.
Following the drone incursions into Poland, the Russian Ministry of Defence stated that its drones were aimed solely at military targets within western Ukraine and denied any intention to strike Polish territory.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov criticized NATO and Ukraine for making daily accusations against Russia without providing evidence, calling such claims baseless and irresponsible.
He reiterated these denials the following day, dismissing reports of Russian military pilots violating NATO airspace as exaggerated hysteria.
U.S. Reaction and Trump’s Position
Since taking office in January, U.S. President Donald Trump has sought diplomatic avenues to end the war in Ukraine, including a summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska in August, which did not yield a peace agreement.
Earlier this month, Trump suggested that the drones entering Polish airspace “could have been a mistake,” a statement that drew criticism. Polish Prime Minister Tusk firmly rejected this notion, asserting Poland’s certainty that the incursions were deliberate.
However, after meeting with President Zelenskyy during the United Nations General Assembly, Trump appeared to revise his stance, affirming that NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft violating their airspace.
Next Steps and Defensive Measures
European defense ministers are scheduled to convene on Friday to discuss the implementation of a “drone wall” – a coordinated defense system designed to prevent further unauthorized drone incursions. Denmark will participate in these talks.
Earlier this month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also advocated for establishing such a drone defense barrier to enhance regional security.
