'Could neither confirm nor deny': Drone scare shuts Copenhagen and Oslo airports - Was Russia behind it?
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Could neither confirm nor deny': Drone scare shuts Copenhagen and Oslo airports - Was Russia behind it?")
Police officers walk after all traffic has been closed at the Copenhagen Airport due to drone reports in Copenhagen, Denmark September 22, 2025. Photograph: (Reuters)
Copenhagen and Oslo airports were shut after drones were sighted nearby, disrupting over 80 flights. Police are investigating possible links, including Russia, as Europe faces mounting airport disruptions and passenger chaos.
Copenhagen Airport, the busiest in the Nordic region, was forced to shut down for nearly four hours on Monday evening after drones were spotted flying nearby. At the same time, Norway’s Oslo Airport closed its airspace following a similar sighting. The shutdowns led to chaos for passengers, with dozens of flights diverted to other airports.
Danish police said on Tuesday they still do not know who flew drones over Copenhagen Airport on Monday night, but believe the operator was skilled. “The number, size, and flight patterns of the drones show this was done by someone capable. But we don’t know who,” said police inspector Jens Jespersen. The airport was shut for several hours before reopening early Tuesday, causing long delays and disrupting travel for about 20,000 passengers, officials said.
What have police said about the drones?
Copenhagen Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jakob Hansen confirmed that investigators were still trying to identify the drones. “The police have launched an intensive investigation to determine what kind of drones these are. The drones have disappeared and we have not taken any of them,” Hansen told reporters. Authorities in Denmark and Norway are now collaborating to determine if the two incidents are connected.
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Were the drones Russian?
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When asked if the drones could be linked to Russia, Hansen said he could not confirm or deny the possibility. Officials have promised further updates at a press conference scheduled for Tuesday morning.
How many flights were affected?
Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 reported that at least 35 flights heading to Copenhagen had to be diverted. A further 50 flights bound for Oslo were also rerouted after the airspace there was closed at midnight local time. Copenhagen Airport announced on social media that delays and cancellations would persist even after reopening, and passengers were advised to check with their respective airlines.
How does this fit into wider European airport disruptions?
The drone incidents come just days after European airports were hit by a cyberattack that took down check-in and boarding systems at Heathrow, Berlin and Brussels. Travel across the region has already been strained, and the drone sightings have added to the pressure on passengersandairlines.
