Since early-September 2025, a series of escalating drone and airspace incursions has intensified fears over critical infrastructure security across Northern and Central Europe. At least 38 drone-related incursions across countries stretching from Norway to Denmark, and Belgium to the Baltic states have been recorded, according to research from the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) .

The incidents, occurring almost daily between September 9 and October 6, have prompted emergency airport shutdowns, temporary airspace closures, and heightened NATO readiness. European leaders have described the campaign as one of the most serious hybrid threats in years, warning it may be testing allied defenses ahead of key regional summits.

Reports have included drones near commercial airports, military installations, energy facilities, and defense contractors such as Thales in Belgium, where authorities are investigating suspicious activity near arms production sites. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the wave “the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date,” while Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson urged closer European cooperation, saying, “Every country needs to build up drone detection and response capabilities, and then we need to cooperate very closely to be able to detect drones.”

NATO has reinforced regional defenses with warships, ISR aircraft, and anti-drone systems to secure upcoming summits and protect strategic sites.

Timeline of Events

• September 9: Around 20 Russian military drones cross into Polish airspace from Ukraine during overnight attacks, striking multiple regions and triggering air raid alerts across eastern Poland. Officials condemn the incident as a violation of NATO airspace and summon Russia’s ambassador for an explanation.
• September 10: A swarm of Russian drones enters Poland’s airspace, prompting NATO aircraft to scramble and intercept several devices. It marks the first direct encounter between NATO and Moscow since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
• September 22: Large drones force Copenhagen Airport to close for nearly 4 hours (~30,000 passengers affected); Oslo Airport also shuts for 3 hours.
• September 24: Drone activity spreads to Aalborg, Esbjerg, Sønderborg, and Skrydstrup, two of which also serve as military bases. Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen says a “professional actor” is likely behind the systematic flights.
• September 25: Aalborg’s airspace closes again after new sightings. In northern Germany’s Schleswig-Holstein, multiple drones are observed over critical infrastructure, including a power plant, a university hospital, government buildings, and the TKMS shipyard in Kiel. Interior Minister Sabine Sütterlin-Waack confirms authorities are investigating a possible espionage operation.
• September 26 - 27: Drones appear over Danish military sites, including Karup Air Base, briefly closing shared civilian airspace. At the same time, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport experiences disruption when a Transavia passenger jet narrowly avoids a drone.
• September 28: Drone sightings are reported at multiple Danish armed forces sites, prompting authorities to impose a nationwide civilian drone ban ahead of the EU and European Political Community summits in Copenhagen. NATO strengthens defenses with the German frigate Hamburg under its Baltic Sentry mission, and Denmark issues a classified call-up order for several hundred reservists to bolster readiness against the escalating threat.
• September 29: Sweden, France, and Germany deploy anti-drone forces to Denmark, providing advanced capabilities, personnel, and equipment to bolster for the EU and European Political Community summits.
• September 30: Ukraine shares battlefield-tested drone defense expertise with Denmark, including electronic warfare tactics. The U.S. Navy sends submarine-hunting aircraft to Norway and around Kaliningrad, expanding NATO surveillance and deterrence along Russia’s northern flank.
• October 2–3: Munich Airport halts flights late on October 2 after multiple drones are spotted near runways. Operations remain suspended overnight, with service resuming around 5:50 a.m. on October 3. The shutdown cancels and diverts dozens of flights, prompting a police investigation and federal warnings that the drone wave has spread into central Europe.
• October 3–4: Munich Airport closes again late on October 3 (~11:00 p.m.) after new drone sightings reported by pilots. Both runways remain shut until around 7:00 a.m. on October 4. Authorities escalate investigations, calling the repeated incursions a serious threat to aviation safety.
• October 6: A drone sighting temporarily disrupts operations at Oslo Airport. One or more aircraft were held in the air until the situation was clarified. No flights were diverted to alternative airports.
• October 19: Munich Airport again temporarily shut down following reports of drone activity that authorities were later unable to verify. Impact on flights and passengers was relatively minor with three flights diverted and one departure canceled.

Though no perpetrator has been identified, European officials and analysts warn of possible Russian involvement. Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen called the incidents “hybrid attacks” carried out by a “professional actor,” while EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said, “Russia is testing the EU and NATO, and our response must be firm, united, and immediate.” The incursions underscore Europe’s growing vulnerability to drone-enabled disruption and have reignited debate over escalation thresholds, deterrence strategy, and civilian airspace safety.

Amid airport shutdowns, military alerts, and heightened NATO readiness, Enigma’s skywatcher network provides a crucial on-the-ground vantage point. Witnesses across Europe have reported unusual lights, hovering craft, and drones exhibiting unconventional flight patterns. These firsthand accounts underscore both the scale of public observation and the seriousness of the emerging aerial threat to civilian and military airspace.