Mystery Drones Disrupt Air Travel and Raise Security Concerns Across Europe
Oslo,Norway – A wave of drone sightings is causing disruption and prompting investigations across several European countries,raising concerns about potential security threats. The incidents, occurring primarily between September 24 and October 3, have impacted airports and critical infrastructure in Norway, Denmark, and Germany.
On October 3, 2025, drone activity forced Oslo Airport in Norway to operate with only one runway, impacting air traffic. Authorities are investigating a possible connection to similar disruptions at German airports.
Between September 24 and September 25, drones were detected flying over four smaller Danish airports, including two serving as military bases. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated a “professional” actor was likely responsible for the “systematic flights.” Reports also surfaced of drones near or above Karup Air base, Denmark’s largest military installation, though the defense ministry declined to confirm these sightings, citing “operational security and the ongoing inquiry.”
In Germany, authorities are investigating claims of drones potentially spying on critical infrastructure in Schleswig-Holstein.On September 25, multiple drones were spotted over a power plant in Kiel, and also near a university hospital and a shipyard in the city, according to a Der Spiegel report. Regional interior Minister Sabine Sütterlin-Waack told a state parliament committee that flying objects of “various types and sizes” had been observed.
Der Spiegel reported two small drones were seen over the Kiel factory premises of TKMS, a maritime defense technologies provider. Later, a “combined drone formation” was observed over the university hospital and a power plant, with further sightings reported over governmental buildings and the Heide oil refinery. Additional suspicious drones were also spotted over a military base in Sanitz, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.An investigation led by Chief Public Prosecutor Stephanie Gropp is currently underway.
