Denmark banned the use of civilian drones for five days next week as it steps up security ahead of a European Union summit in Copenhagen.
The move is intended to eliminate the risk of confusing civilian-operated aircraft with hostile drones during the congregation of EU government leaders, the transport ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
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The ban follows a surge of drone incursions across the country in the past week. Military authorities reported new sightings near several defense facilities overnight, marking the seventh day of such incidents. “Various capacities were deployed,” the Danish Armed Forces said in an update on Sunday, without offering details.
Police have been inundated with false alarms as public concern mounts, forcing them to raise the alert level. Authorities logged 500 reports in a single day last week.
Security will be visibly tighter in the capital during the summit, where leaders are expected to discuss defense and security, including responses to hybrid threats and Russian violations of European airspace.
Although investigators have yet to identify the source of the drone activity, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has linked it to Russia’s efforts to destabilize Europe, an accusation Russia denies.
Last week, sightings of large, professional-grade drones forced the temporary closure of several airports in Denmark, including Copenhagen’s commercial hub, sparking a large-scale police investigation. In recent days, the activity has centered around military facilities, including Karup, Denmark’s biggest air force base, which detected drones in its vicinity late on Friday.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, of which Denmark is a founding member, is deploying an air defense vessel to help counter the drones, according to TV2. The German warship, the FGS Hamburg, will patrol around Copenhagen during the high-level EU meeting, the broadcaster quoted NATO spokesperson Arlo Abrahamson as saying.
