Denmark scrambles jet after suspected drone activity over Baltic

The Danish Air Force dispatched a fighter jet over the Baltic Sea after reports of possible drone activity, Danish broadcaster TV2 reported.

According to police, the decision followed multiple calls from residents who noticed unidentified objects in the sky. Thomas Elsgård, duty officer at the Bornholm Police Department, explained that the fighter jet initially flew over the island in one direction before later returning. At the same time, representatives of the armed forces have not issued any official statement regarding the incident.

The Danish military confirmed it continues to monitor national airspace and gather information about possible unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to safeguard both the country and its maritime infrastructure. Officials noted that two F-16 fighter jets remain on permanent combat duty, ready to take off within minutes in the event of a potential threat.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, incidents involving drones and unidentified aerial objects in the Baltic and Northern Europe have become increasingly frequent.

In neighboring Norway, airport operator Avinor said late on Sunday that drone activity was detected at Brønnøysund Airport, one of four airports in northern Norway where drone flight and ground restrictions have been extended to a 10-kilometer radius as a precaution. A day earlier, Norway had investigated suspected drone sightings near Ørland Air Base, the country’s largest military installation and the stationing site of its F-35 fighter jets.

Over recent weeks, Denmark, Poland, and Romania have reported waves of drone intrusions, while Estonia has faced violations of its airspace by Russian fighter jets. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested that Russian tankers could be used to launch and control drones over European cities, though Danish intelligence has not confirmed any Russian involvement in the latest incidents.

On September 27, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chair of NATO’s Military Committee, addressed the situation during a NATO meeting in Riga, Latvia. He emphasized that “Russian aircraft and drones, on top of the already existing measures, will now find the resolute response of the newly established and already operational Eastern Sentry activity, which further strengthen NATO’s ability to react quickly and decisively against this kind of reckless behavior.”

“Russia bears full responsibility for these actions,” Dragone added. “Today, I express full and unequivocal solidarity with all allies whose airspace has been breached. The alliance's response has been robust and will only continue to strengthen.”

Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs echoed these concerns, declaring that “the immediate priority today is clearly air defense.” He stressed that “Russia continues a pattern of provocations, most recently recklessly violating the airspace of Poland and Estonia.”

By Tamilla Hasanova