Image source, EPA

Overnight - and for the second time this week - drones have disrupted activity at a Danish airport.

Aalborg airport, used for commercial and military flights in the north of the country, was temporarily closed when drones were seen in its air space between 22:00 and 02:00 local time.

Smaller airports in southern Denmark also reported drone activity, but were not closed.

This morning, Danish authorities categorised it as a "hybrid attack" that came from a "professional actor". The drones were launched locally, they said, but they did not directly blame Russia - or anyone else.

The National Police has raised the crisis level and the country's defence minister said the government was considering bringing an Article 4 discussion to Nato over the matter - Estonia and Poland have already done so over similar incidents this month. As our security correspondent Frank Gardner writes, the drone disruptions are part of an "escalating and worrying" pattern.

We are now ending our live coverage. You can find the latest updates in our news article, and more discussion about Denmark boosting its defences in response to Russian threats in the latest episode of the Crossing Continents podcast on BBC Sounds.

Thanks for reading.

Image source, PA Media

As we've reported, Denmark has not directly blamed Russia for the overnight drone strikes. But Europe has been on high alert in recent weeks, after several Nato members reported incursions in their air spaces - with some pointing the finger directly at Moscow:

• 22 September: Copenhagen airport was forced to shut for several hours after the sighting of drones. Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Russian involvement couldn't be ruled out. Russia called allegations of its involvement "unfounded"
• 22 September: A drone was also detected near the main airport in Oslo - air space above the airport was closed for nearly five hours and flights diverted to the closest airport
• 19 September: Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian skies "without permission and remained there for a total of 12 minutes" over the Gulf of Finland. Russia denied violating the airspace

• 14 September: Romania's defence ministry said it detected a Russian drone in its airspace when its air force was monitoring the country's border with Ukraine. Russia did not comment
• 10 September: Poland recorded 19 drone incursions, shooting down at least three, with some flying deep enough to temporarily close four airports, including Warsaw's main hub Chopin - Russia insisted the incursion was not deliberate. "This situation brings us the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two," said Polish PM Donald Tusk

Image source, Getty Images

As we reported earlier, ministers classed the drone flights over Danish air space as a "hybrid attack".

But what is a hybrid attack?

According to Nato, external, hybrid threats "combine military and non-military as well as covert and overt means, including disinformation, cyber attacks, economic pressure, deployment of irregular armed groups and use of regular forces".

It says hybrid methods "blur the lines between war and peace, and attempt to sow doubt in the minds of target populations. They aim to destabilise and undermine societies."

As our Europe digital editor Paul Kirby just wrote, Denmark has been careful not to point the finger at Russia.

But, on its website, Nato says Russia is known to use "sophisticated hybrid strategies, including political interference, malicious cyber activities, economic pressure and coercion, subversion, aggression and annexation".

Denmark clear this was a 'hybrid attack' - but avoids pointing finger at Russiapublished at 09:43 BST 25 September 2025

09:43 BST 25 September 2025

Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor

Denmark's defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen made clear Denmark has come under a "hybrid attack". Because it was systematic, using drones over a wide area and close to military bases, he said whoever was behind it was a "professional actor".

The Danes are not saying explicitly who that actor is, but they're being careful not to point the figure at the Kremlin, as they have no concrete evidence.

But that doesn't mean Moscow isn't the main suspect, and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has already said she can "not rule out" Russia was behind Monday night's incident drone over Copenhagen.

The Kremlin has rejected her "unfounded accusations".

The next step for Denmark's leaders is to decide whether to invoke Nato's Article 4, which requires members of the defensive alliance to hold consultations. If they do, it would be the third time this month that Article 4 has been invoked, after Estonia and Poland responded to separate threats to their airspace.

In the words of the defence minister, Denmark is facing a "new reality", from someone seeking to destabilise the country.

Image source, EPA

Just after 09:00 local time (08:00 BEST), four senior Danish officials gave an update on the latest drone swarms in Denmark, which closed some airspace overnight. Here's a recap:

• The drones were a "hybrid attack", said Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, saying a "professional actor" was responsible

• He said the drones were launched “locally” - the police chief said an investigation was under way
• The defence minister said a decision was made not to shoot down the drones for the safety of the population

• He said there was no evidence of Russian involvement - but Denmark has raised the issue with Nato, and could use Article 4 to convene a meeting

• Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said the aim of the attacks was to "to create fear"
• The Danish National Police has raised the crisis level

Danish drone attack the latest in a worrying patternpublished at 09:07 BST 25 September 2025

09:07 BST 25 September 2025

Frank Gardner
Security correspondent

This latest disruption by drones at Danish airports is part of an escalating and worrying pattern.

It follows temporary closures of both Copenhagen and Oslo airports on Monday in what Denmark’s prime minister called "the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date".

In the recent past, suspicious drones have also been sighted over Germany and Sweden. All are suspected – but not proven – to be part of a so-called "grey zone" activity by Russia, designed to punish those Western countries supporting Ukraine’s efforts to repel Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Over the night of 9-10 September around 20 Russian drones crossed into Poland. Another crossed into Romania while Russian MiG31 jets made an incursion into Estonian airspace.

Taken together, this is viewed as Russia testing Nato’s willingness to respond as well as showing the West there are consequences for helping Ukraine defend itself.

Denmark’s Defence Ministry says it has the ability to shoot down drones if needed. But this is not a wise option in a residential area, especially around an airport where there may be fuel tanks and trucks.

European officials are now looking at a collective response to this growing problem which Denmark says is "here to stay".

A little over 30 minutes since Danish officials began, the press conference comes to an end.

Stick with us as our teams brings you a recap, plus more updates and analysis.

As a reminder, Minister of Defence, Troels Lund Poulsen, earlier classed the drones as a "hybrid attack", saying they seemed to be the work of a "professional actor".

He now says such hybrid attacks are here to stay, that technology is progressing quickly, and that there is no single solution to the problem.

The defence minister says this is worrying and that his department are looking at the issue seriously.

He adds that there may be a connection between the drone incursion in Copenhagen at the beginning of this week and the one overnight - but does not draw any concrete conclusion.

As a reminder, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Russian involvement in the Copenhagen attack couldn't be ruled out.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

The Danish National Police has raised the crisis level, and its national operational staff (NOST) will be working around the clock.

NOST usually comes together when major incidents happen in Denmark. It was last activated on Monday, when several drones flew around Copenhagen airport, according to national broadcaster DR.

Police Chief Thorkild Foged says NOST will increase cooperation with security authorities as well as with the energy and transport sectors.

Journalists just asked the panel about Nato's Article 4, which initiates a serious discussion with the other Nato countries.

(NB: This is not the same as Article 5, which states that "an armed attack against one...shall be considered an attack against them all.")

The government has not made a final decision on this yet, says the Minister of Defence, Troels Lund Poulsen. But he adds they have reached out to Nato.

Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor

The big question for Denmark and other countries in Europe that have faced so-called hybrid attacks from drones is how to defend against them.

Drones are relatively cheap to launch but have proved expensive to bring down. Earlier this month European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for a "drone wall" to tackle a wave of drone incursions launched by Russia.

What that means is not entirely clear but detecting the drones early and then destroying them is seen as key.

Denmark will join several frontline European countries - all along the EU's eastern flank with Russia - in a virtual meeting on Friday to assess how to protect their borders with this "drone wall".

They include the Baltic republics, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, along with Ukraine. Although Ukraine is not part of the project, it has the most expertise in bringing down drones.

As the officials continue to answer questions, the minister of defence adds that last night's drones were launched "locally".

Lund Poulsen says this is different from previous incidents.

He adds that while the defence ministry currently doesn't know where the drones where dispatched from, "they have not come from a long distance".

The question of Russian involvement is raised and it's the Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen who answers.

He says there is no evidence that Russia is behind the drone incursion.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

We come to questions now - Chief of Defence Michael Hyldgaard is asked why the drones were not shot down.

He says an assessment was made and the drones were not shot down for the safety for the population. He adds that the armed forces are making constant assessments.

National police chief Thorkild Fogde says it is going to be a big task for the police to go through each of these incidents.

Fogde says they will do everything they can to find out who launched the drones and why they were sent out.

The minister continues, saying a meeting has been called for Friday at the EU level to discuss how to improve and strengthen drone preparedness across the continent.

The EU commission, several member states as well as Ukraine's Minister of Defence have been invited to attend.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen is next to speak, saying that the drone sightings indicate that a professional actor is behind it.

He says it looks systematic, and describes it as a hybrid attack.

"There can be no doubt that everything points to this being the work of a professional actor when we are talking about such a systematic operation in so many locations at virtually the same time," he says.

"This is what I would define as a hybrid attack using different types of drones."

He adds that the Danish armed forces have the capacity to down drones, but that there is no direct military threat against Denmark at this stage.

The Danish minister of justice continues, saying the hybrid threats his country is facing are "here to stay".

Hummelgaard says local authorities are working at full speed to uncover the details of last night's incident.

He adds that nothing is currently being ruled out in terms of who might behind it.

The minister says the goal of these attacks is "to create fear" to "make us afraid", leading to division.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Peter Hummelgaard, Denmark's justice minister, starts off by saying it's time to "stand together".

He says the incidents last night are a continuation of a long series of escalating episodes across Europe.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

We'll bring you the top lines here - and you can watch the press conference, in Danish, by clicking Watch Live at the top of the page.