Drone violations continue amid NATO ally ban
A Norwegian airline flight was diverted late Sunday following a drone sighting, a week after Oslo airport shut its airspace for three hours over a similar incident. Therefore, Denmark on Sunday banned civilian drone flights for the coming week ahead of an informal EU leaders’ meeting in Copenhagen.
Norwegian flight diverted
A flight from Oslo to Bardufoss in northern Troms county was forced to turn back after a drone sighting, press officer Eivind Hammer Myhre at Norwegian told the broadcaster NRK. Authorities have been notified, and the drones are reportedly no longer visible, Anadolu wrote.
Earlier in the day, other drones were observed near an airport in Nordland county, causing one plane to be diverted to an alternative airport. On Monday morning, police confirmed that they saw two drones at the time, although there are currently no suspects in the case.
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In Norway, the Oslo airport also closed its airspace for three hours last week after a drone was seen nearby. Multiple EU states, including Poland, Romania, Latvia, Estonia, Norway, and Denmark, have recently reported airspace violations or disruptions by drones, some confirmed to be of Russian origin.
Denmark bans civilian drones ahead of EU summit
Denmark on Sunday banned civilian drone flights for the coming week ahead of an informal EU leaders’ meeting in Copenhagen.
“We cannot accept that foreign drones create uncertainty and disruption in society as we have experienced recently. At the same time, Denmark will host EU leaders next week, where we must have extra focus on safety. Therefore, from Monday to Friday, we will close Danish airspace to all civilian drone flights,” Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen said in a statement issued by the ministry.
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Violation of the ban, which applies 24 hours a day, can result in a fine or imprisonment for up to two years.
Drone sightings continue
“We are currently in a difficult security situation, and we must ensure the best possible working conditions for the Armed Forces and the Police when they are responsible for security during the EU summit. A task that already requires a great deal of effort from our authorities, who are working around the clock to protect the Danes and our guests,” Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen also said.
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Danish authorities closed airspace over multiple airports late Thursday amid reports of drone activity, prompting flight diversions and heightening security concerns over what Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described as “a hybrid war unfolding on Danish soil.”
On Saturday, the Danish Armed Forces also said that they spotted new drones hovering over several of its locations.