The Daily Populous Monday September 29th, 2025 night edition
Authored by kyivindependent.com and submitted by AdSpecialist6598

Editor's Note: This story has been updated with information about NATO's response.

Unidentified drones have been detected in the airspace of Denmark, Lithuania, and Finland, several media outlets reported on Sept. 27.

The incidents come as Russian drones and military aircraft have increasingly entered NATO airspace, prompting heightened alert and readiness across the alliance. Recent violations have been reported in Estonia, Poland, and Romania.

In Denmark, drones were spotted near several military facilities, including Karup Air Base, one of the country's key air force facilities, Danish DR reported on Sept. 27.

The Danish Defense Command does not disclose where the incidents took place and how many drones are considered suspicious. Several units of the Danish Armed Forces were deployed to respond to the incidents.

In Lithuania, three drones were spotted flying near Vilnius airport, causing delays to seven commercial flights, Lithuanian broadcaster LRT reported on Sept. 27.

In Finland, last weekend, a drone flew over the Valajasoski power plant in Rovaniemi, Yle reported on Sept. 27. Law enforcement bodies in the region confirmed this information to Yle, but did not disclose any details due to ongoing investigations.

Previously, in Denmark, the airspace above Aalborg Airport in northern Jutland was closed overnight on Sept. 26 after police also reported an unidentified drone, Danish broadcaster TV2 said.

The closure lasted about an hour, with several flights canceled and two inbound planes diverted.

This marked the third disruption at Aalborg Airport in less than a week. On Sept. 24, operations were suspended after drones were detected near a military base, prompting Copenhagen to consider invoking NATO's Article 4.

Earlier, on Sept. 22, Copenhagen Airport, the busiest hub in northern Europe, also halted operations due to drone sightings. Norwegian authorities temporarily closed Oslo Airport under similar circumstances.

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the origin of the drones remains unclear and that there is no evidence directly linking them to Russia.

In response to the Danish drone incursions, NATO said on Sept. 27 that it was expanding its Baltic Sea operations with additional military assets, according to a statement emailed to Reuters.

NATO will "conduct even more enhanced vigilance with new multi-domain assets in the Baltic Sea region," the statement read.

The alliance plans to upgrade its Baltic Sentry mission to include new "intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms and at least one air-defense frigate."

The latest suspicious drone flights coincide with a notable rise in Russian violations of allied airspace.

Three Russian MiG-31 jets entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland on Sept. 19, prompting Tallinn to request NATO consultations under Article 4.

Poland shot down Russian drones during a mass strike on Ukraine on Sept. 10, marking the first time NATO engaged Russian assets over its territory since the full-scale invasion. Romania reported a similar violation on Sept. 13, scrambling F-16s after detecting a Russian drone.

The alliance has reinforced defenses through its Eastern Sentry mission amid growing provocations.

Monnoppoly on September 28th, 2025 at 13:58 UTC »

This is going to happen every day now. Putin knows he can get away with it so he will do it more often.

Knifoon_ on September 28th, 2025 at 13:56 UTC »

They are looking for red line and won't stop until they find it. Show it to them

tresslessone on September 28th, 2025 at 13:44 UTC »

I wonder how far away we are from a complete ban on civilian drones. It feels like too much of a risk at this point.