Drone Incidents Shut Copenhagen and Oslo Airports
Major drone incidents forced Copenhagen and Oslo airports to close, disrupting thousands of passengers. Danish police describe the operator as a 'capable actor' while Russia denies involvement. Both Nordic countries have activated anti-drone security measures.
Listen to Danish police explain the latest about the drone incident at Copenhagen Airport
All air traffic stopped at Copenhagen's Kastrup Airport on Monday evening. Police now point to a capable actor behind the drone incidents. Here is what we know about the recent drone events in Sweden's neighboring countries.
On the evening of September 22, three drones were observed at Kastrup Airport outside Copenhagen. A major police operation began and the airport closed. The drones remained in the area for four hours before disappearing.
It remains unclear who operated the drones. Police Inspector Jens Jespersen said during a press conference that it involves a capable actor with capacity, willingness and equipment to cause major disruption.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called it the most serious attack against Danish infrastructure so far. She said she would not rule out Russian involvement.
Fifty planes had to be redirected during the four-hour airport closure. Over 30 departures and approximately 20,000 passengers experienced delays.
Oslo's Gardermoen Airport also closed for several hours overnight to Tuesday following drone observations. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said they see no connection between the Kastrup and Gardermoen incidents.
In Norway, police arrested two foreign citizens after a drone flew within a prohibited zone near the military area Akershus.
Russia denies involvement. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told AFP they constantly hear unfounded accusations.
How do drone incidents affect airport security? Both Denmark and Norway have implemented anti-drone systems following these events.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed support for Denmark and emphasized Sweden's right to defend its airspace with force if necessary.