Two weeks ago, mysterious drones were spotted flying over key Danish infrastructure. What exactly happened, however, remains unclear.

"We actually know very little. We know that drones shut down Copenhagen International Airport for four hours overnight between Monday and Tuesday. A few days later, drones were seen in several places in Jutland near airports and military bases. We don't know what type of drones they were, where they came from or where they went next," said Danish Radio journalist Christine Cordsen.

The incident drew widespread attention. In the preceding weeks, Russian fighter jets had violated Estonian airspace, Russian drones had entered Poland and EU leaders were soon set to meet in Copenhagen. While Denmark has not said the drones were Russian, experts suspect the Kremlin may have been involved.

"They were reportedly larger drones — not small quadcopters, but winged drones. I think that's why the government concluded that whoever was behind it must have more advanced capabilities," said Associate Professor Andreas Graae of the Royal Danish Defense College.

Such drones can fly much farther, which aligns with speculation that they were launched from a vessel in Russia's shadow fleet seen near Copenhagen. Denmark has also recently made key decisions to strengthen its security.

"Just a few weeks ago, Denmark decided to acquire long-range precision weapons. That was something Russia's ambassador to Denmark strongly criticized," said Mikkel Runge Olesen, senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies.

Denmark has provided the most aid to Ukraine relative to GDP, giving Russia strong motivation to undermine Danish security and sow division within society.

"The goal is to spread fear and make people anxious and paranoid about anything flying in the sky. I think there were also many reports of things in the air that weren't real or were false positives — perhaps the planet Venus, stars or even regular aircraft," said Graae.

But experts note that such provocations often have the opposite effect. Danes now see even more reason to support Ukraine and bolster their own defenses.

"There is only one country threatening us, and that's Russia. So we need a strong response," said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

That's why EU leaders in Copenhagen discussed a new idea — building a "drone wall." The concept, inspired by Ukraine's experience, envisions a pan-European system for drone defense.

"The Ukrainians have built theirs quite quickly. They've shown what sensors are needed, what production lines are required and they even manufacture their own drones in Ukraine. That can be expanded to Europe," said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas.

In Ukraine, innovative methods are used to detect drones by the sound of their engines and anti-drone drones have been developed — a much cheaper alternative to missiles costing hundreds of thousands of euros, such as those used to shoot down Russian drones over Poland.

"The most common ones I've seen are drone-like interceptor aircraft that can be directed to areas where we know Shahed-type or similar drones are flying illegally and violating our airspace. But that still requires the ability to detect them from afar. First, you need systems to identify those drones. Once you can, the interceptor drone can be sent to the area and attempt to collide with the attacking drone," said Ash Alexander-Cooper, vice president of the drone defense company Dedrone.

Protecting airports, however, poses a separate challenge. Shooting down a drone could endanger passengers or local residents. Solutions tested on Ukraine's battlefields do not always work elsewhere.

That's why not all leaders in Copenhagen were optimistic about the "drone wall" idea.

"I'm sometimes wary of premature terms. Are there really iron domes and drone walls for Europeans? Things are actually more complicated," said French President Emmanuel Macron.

The real solution may be less a wall and more a shared database that allows countries to coordinate their drone defense.

"It doesn't always mean shooting a drone down. In many countries where we work, most government agencies aren't even allowed to use electronic jamming. Reaching the pilot quickly — finding out who they are and what they're doing — is often the best way to neutralize a threat," said Alexander-Cooper.

"We're not going to build a Great Wall of China. What we're really creating is situational awareness — the capabilities, systems and tools needed to stop something if necessary," said Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal.

"I don't really care what it's called, as long as it works," said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

EU leaders agree that no physical wall will be built and the focus will instead be on strengthening drone defenses. The remaining question is how to pay for it.

"People often say it's not about money, but it always is. If Europe is willing to contribute at least partially and EU funds can be used to develop these capabilities, that would be a good foundation," said Michal.

Southern member states, however, oppose the idea of direct EU funding for drone defense on the eastern flank. The funding debate continues.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!