【Text by Observers Network, Wang Yi】At around 01:44 on the night of September 24, local time, Danish police stated that the Aalborg Airport in Denmark was forced to close due to an unauthorized drone entering the area. This is the second incident within a week at major Danish airports after the Copenhagen Airport was closed for several hours on the evening of the 22nd, due to the discovery of an unknown drone.

Danish police said in a statement that the unknown drone was first detected around 9:44 PM on the night of the 24th and remained near Aalborg Airport until 0:54 AM on the morning of the 25th, when there were still drones in the surrounding airspace. The drone activity caused at least three flights to be diverted, with two returning to Copenhagen Airport and another flying back to Karlstrup Airport. They also pointed out that since Aalborg Airport is a dual-use airport for civil and military purposes, the Danish armed forces were also affected.

In a later update, the Danish police said they tried to "shoot down" the drone but "we were unsuccessful." However, the police added that this incident did not pose a threat to public safety.

The North Jutland Police told the UK's The Guardian that there were "more than one drone" flying over Aalborg Airport, and they were all lit up while flying. They could not yet specify the type of these drones or confirm whether they were the same as those seen over Copenhagen Airport on the 22nd.

Drone found over Aalborg Airport. Screenshot from video

A police official said: "It's too early to determine the purpose of the drone or who is behind it."

On the 25th, in another statement and a post on social media, the Danish police also reported three incidents of drone activity at airports in the southern part of the country, including Esbjerg, Sønderborg, and Skrydstrup, but these airports were not closed as a result. The South Jutland Police stated that they are "taking the situation seriously," but have not yet made any comments on the motive and cannot rule out the possibility of it being a prank.

Reuters reported on the 25th that Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated, "This is clearly not a coincidence, but a planned attack. I believe this is a hybrid attack."

Poulsen said that Denmark has not yet decided whether to request NATO to consult under Article IV of the North Atlantic Treaty. This clause stipulates that if any signatory nation believes its territorial integrity, political independence, or security is threatened, the signatories should discuss it together.

According to the Danish police, the drone incident at Aalborg Airport is similar to the events that occurred earlier in the week at Copenhagen Airport. On the evening of the 22nd, multiple unknown drones were found near Copenhagen Airport, causing the airport to be closed for about four hours. Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen stated on the 23rd that the drone interference at Copenhagen Airport was "the most serious attack" on Denmark's critical infrastructure, and it could not be ruled out that the event was "related to Russia."

However, the Danish police responded on the 23rd that they had not yet been able to determine the source of the drones or the identity of the suspects. Russian President's press secretary Peskov also denied the accusations. He stated that such claims are baseless, and a government taking a serious and responsible position should not make such accusations.

Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin denied any connection between Russia and the drones over Copenhagen Airport. As of the time of writing, Russia has not commented on other drone incidents at Danish airports.

Recently, Europe has reported multiple "infringement of airspace" activities, with the focus on Russia. On the 10th, Poland claimed to have shot down a "crossing" Russian drone into its airspace. On the 13th, the Romanian Ministry of Defense also stated that Russian drones "entered" their airspace, and they urgently deployed fighter jets to track them until the drones left Romania.

Regarding Poland and Romania's accusations, Russia firmly denied them, stating that Russia has no plan to attack targets within Poland's territory, and Romania has not provided convincing evidence.

On the 19th, the Estonian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that three Russian MiG-31 fighters "entered Estonian airspace without permission," remaining for as long as 12 minutes before leaving. The Russian Ministry of Defense responded on the 20th that three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets on the 19th flew as planned from Karelia to an airport in Kaliningrad Oblast, strictly following the "International Airspace Usage Rules," without infringing on other countries' airspace, which was confirmed by objective monitoring equipment.

On the evening of the 22nd, Oslo Gardermoen International Airport in Norway was also closed for about three hours due to the discovery of a drone. Norwegian Foreign Minister said on the 24th that Norway and Denmark are closely communicating regarding the drone incidents on the 22nd, but the investigation has not yet determined any connection between the two events.

On the 25th, BBC reported that after accusing Russia of "invading" their airspace, Estonia and Poland requested consultations with other NATO member states last week. After a meeting on the 23rd, NATO issued a statement condemning Russia and warning that it would use "all necessary military and non-military means" to safeguard its security.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said, "We are a defensive alliance, but we are not naive and see what is happening." He said he had communicated with Frederiksen, and the Danish government is assessing the drone incidents near Copenhagen Airport, but it is too early to draw conclusions.

US President Trump also suggested on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on the 23rd that NATO countries should directly shoot down Russian aircraft that "invade" their airspace.

BBC reported that Italy, Finland, and Sweden have sent fighter jets on emergency missions under NATO orders to strengthen their eastern wing.

Regarding the accusations by NATO countries like Poland, Peskov reiterated on the 23rd: "Russia takes a very responsible stance. You are aware of our military statements, and our aircraft follow international rules during all flight missions, never crossing borders. Any accusations of Russian military aircraft 'violating borders' so far have not been supported by reliable data or convincing evidence."

"Russia Today" also cited a similar event that occurred in the US last year, where suspicious drone groups were reported in New Jersey, New York, and other areas, gradually spreading across much of the northeastern United States. Although a joint team was formed by federal and state governments to investigate, the identity of the actors was never confirmed. Subsequent investigations concluded that most sightings involved legally authorized drones, misidentified manned aircraft, or other common aerial objects, but were exaggerated due to confirmation errors and mass panic.

This article is an exclusive contribution from Observers Network. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7553968425882698275/

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