Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the drone flies over the airport in Copenhagen as the most serious attack on the Danish critical infrastructure. This Nordic country, according to the local secret service, faces a high risk of sabotage. According to DPA and AFP reports, TASR reports this.
- Danish Prime Minister described drone flies as a serious incident.
- Airports in Copenhagen and Oslo stopped operation due to drones.
- Traveling was affected, the operation was restored on Tuesday morning.
- A possible connection with the recent European cyber incidents is being investigated.
- Experienced operators and potential geopolitical motivations are subject to examination.
The airport in Copenhagen, as well as the airport in Oslo, Norway, which are considered two busiest in Scandinavia, stopped their operation on Monday late for several hours and flights from them were drained to the surrounding airports. The reason was the drone flies that they recorded in their airspace. Tens of thousands of passengers were stuck at the airports as a result of the shutdown. They renewed the operation on both on Tuesday.
Cyber attack on IT service
“Some may not necessarily make sure he attacks us, but rather to stress and watch us respond,” said PET Flemming Director Drejer at a joint press conference with Frederiksen.
The incidents occurred only shortly after the weekend cyber attack on the IT service provider, which was disrupted by the operation of several European airports, including Berlin, Brussels, Heathrow London and Dublin.
A possible connection with Russia
“This tells something about the time we live, and what we have to prepare for as a company. Of course, we do not rule out any possibility of who is behind it,” said the Prime Minister. She did not rule out that Russia could be an involved act. She described the effort to disrupt order and to cause restlessness and concern as a possible motive. According to TV2, the Danish army is also involved in the investigation.
According to Frederiksen, the latest flights need to be perceived in a broader context, not isolated from recent incidents in Europe. At the same time, she mentioned drone penetrations into the airspaces of Poland and Romania, the disturbance of the Estonian airspace by Russian fighters and hacker attacks on European airports.
Experienced drone operator
The Danish police had previously stated that, given the number and size of the drones, as well as the timing of the incident, the machines apparently piloted the “experienced operator”. She added, however, that she has not yet identified any suspects and had no information on where the unmanned aircraft have disappeared. For the time being, there are no indications that the actor intended to hurt someone. According to AP, the lights of the drone were on and off and it seemed that their flight did not have one particular direction.
“Everything suggests that the pilot did not intend to attack someone, but wanted to show off and maybe try it,” said police inspector Jes Jespersen. Nevertheless, the authorities cannot exclude the possibility that drones are part of a Russian hybrid attack, he added. Investigators are currently finding out how they got to the airport in Copenhagen – whether on the ground or perhaps by boat.
Unclear situation in Oslo
According to the media, the chief advisor to the director of the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) said that the situation is unclear after flying over the airport in Oslo. According to him, PST is trying to find out whether the incident is related to drones observed in Denmark. The Danish authorities are also doing the same.
