Belgium’s defense minister on Monday expressed concern about a series of unidentified drone flights over the weekend near military bases housing U.S. nuclear weapons, saying they appeared to be part of an espionage mission.
Defense Minister Theo Franken confirmed that drones were flown in two stages near the Kleine Brogel air base in northeastern Belgium on Saturday and Sunday nights.
The first phase involved the use of Belgian security services’ “small drones to test radio frequencies,” followed by the deployment of “larger drones to destabilize areas and people,” Franken told public broadcaster RTBF.
“It’s like espionage,” he said of the speculation. “We don’t know who did it. We have some ideas, but we’re going to be cautious.”
Franken denied that the weekend drone flight was a prank.
He said the sheriff’s office’s “jamming equipment didn’t work because they tested our radio frequencies and changed the frequencies. They have their own frequencies, and laymen don’t know how.”
When asked why you can’t shoot down a drone, Franken said, “When you’re over a military base, you can shoot down a drone, but when you’re close to a military base, you have to be very careful because it can fall on houses, cars, people. That’s totally different.”
This can also cause legal problems. “It’s not completely clear. The legal basis needs to be clarified.”
Franken lamented that Belgium is “chasing the threat” posed by these drone flights. “We should have bought an air defense system that could deal with drones five or 10 years ago,” he said.
Last month, several drones were spotted over another Belgian military base near the German border. The operator has not been identified.
On high alert
NATO and the European Union have been on high alert in recent weeks following a series of airspace violations believed to be from Russia.
NATO warned Russia in late September that it would do everything possible to prevent further airspace violations after a Russian drone was shot down over Poland and Estonia reported incursions by Russian fighter jets.
The September 10 incident in Poland marked the first direct conflict between NATO and Russia since the start of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
Estonia said three Russian MiG-31 jets entered Estonian airspace without authorization for 12 minutes on Friday, a charge the Kremlin has dismissed.
The incident caused widespread unrest among leaders across Europe, raising questions about the alliance’s preparedness against growing Russian aggression.
“Russia is in no doubt that NATO and its allies will employ all necessary military and non-military means to defend their countries and deter all threats from all directions, in accordance with international law,” the alliance said in a statement.
In response to the violation of Polish airspace, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced: Creation of the Eastern Sentry ProgramThe aim is to deter further Russian aggression and demonstrate solidarity with Poland.
“We have confirmed violations of our airspace by drones. This is unacceptable, whether intentional or not. Our Allies have expressed our full solidarity with Poland. It is important to counter aggression and protect all members of the Alliance,” the NATO chief said.
Incidents in Denmark and Norway
Meanwhile, on September 23, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that Russian involvement cannot be ruled out after the closure of Copenhagen Airport. We were forced to close for a few hours the night before. Following numerous sightings of drones.
“This piece says something about the times we live in and what we have to deal with as a society,” Frederiksen said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the allegations “baseless.”
Also on September 22nd, Norway’s Oslo airport was closed for three hours after a possible drone sighting was reported.
The government said Russia violated Norwegian airspace three times in 2025, but it remains unclear whether Monday’s incident was intentional or the result of a navigation error.
“Whatever the cause, this is unacceptable,” Prime Minister Jonas Gare Store said.
Additional sources of information • AP