Denmark Faces Russian Hybrid War as Drones and Shadow Fleet Stir Alarm – Azat TV

Drone Incursions Put Denmark on High Alert

In late September 2025, Denmark found itself thrust onto the frontline of what its leaders now openly call a Russian-led hybrid war against Europe. The warning signs were impossible to ignore: a series of unidentified drones buzzed over Danish military installations—including the country’s largest base—and triggered the abrupt closure of Copenhagen Airport for nearly four hours. Other airports across the nation faced similar disruptions, leaving travelers stranded and authorities scrambling. Reuters and Associated Press described the government’s response as swift but tense; a special radar system was deployed at Copenhagen Airport, while allied aircraft, ships, and air defense systems from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom arrived to bolster security ahead of a major European summit.

But the real alarm bell wasn’t just the drones. It was the suspicion that these incursions were not random. Danish officials, including national intelligence chief Finn Borch, suggested the risk of Russian sabotage was “high,” citing similar recent violations of NATO airspace in Poland, Romania, and Estonia. The coordinated nature of the drone flights—and their timing, coming just days after Denmark’s largest-ever arms purchase—suggested a deliberate strategy to unsettle, confuse, and probe European defenses.

Hybrid Warfare: Beyond Tanks and Missiles

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was unequivocal at the Seventh European Political Community Summit in Copenhagen: “Europe is in a hybrid war being waged by Russia, and Ukraine is our first line of defense.” Her words echoed across the meeting halls, resonating with the 43 participating heads of state and EU leaders. Hybrid warfare, as defined by military strategists, blends conventional weapons with unconventional tactics—cyber-attacks, disinformation, economic pressure, and, increasingly, drone technology.

The drone sightings over Denmark were more than a technical nuisance. They represented a new front in Europe’s struggle to defend its security, unity, and strategic autonomy. As French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz debated the merits of a proposed “drone wall” to shield Europe’s borders, southern EU states pushed for broader protection, wary that the threat was not limited to the north.

The situation grew more complex when France launched an investigation into the Benin-flagged oil tanker Boracay, a vessel linked to Russia’s shadow fleet and subject to EU sanctions. French authorities detained the captain and first mate after the tanker, which had been stationed off Denmark during the drone incidents, refused to cooperate with investigators. President Macron noted “very serious offences” that justified the judicial probe, including suspicions that the Boracay may have served as a launchpad for the drone incursions into Danish airspace.

Europe’s Divisions and NATO’s Waning Influence

If the drone incidents exposed Denmark’s vulnerabilities, they also laid bare the divisions that continue to hobble Europe’s collective security. At the Copenhagen summit, discussions on how to respond to the hybrid threat quickly became mired in disagreement. While some EU leaders called for the use of frozen Russian assets to fund a massive loan to Ukraine, others—most notably Belgium and Hungary—expressed deep reservations, worried about the legal and financial fallout.

Poland and Hungary clashed publicly over Russian oil purchases, with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accusing Hungary’s Viktor Orbán of “financing Moscow’s war” by continuing to buy Russian energy. Orbán, for his part, dismissed the idea that Hungary or the EU was at war with Russia, warning that such rhetoric was “a dangerous game with the lives and security of millions of Europeans.”

Meanwhile, NATO’s role as Europe’s security guarantor looked increasingly uncertain. With the United States signaling its intent to reduce funding for security assistance to Eastern European allies, European nations faced renewed pressure to shoulder more of the defense burden. As Russian MiG-31 jets violated Estonian airspace and NATO navies tracked a growing number of shadow fleet vessels—some suspected of espionage, others of sanctions busting—the alliance’s ability to respond in real time was called into question.

Oil, Alliances, and the Global Chessboard

Amid the immediate security crisis, the broader geopolitics of energy and alliances loomed large. Russia’s vast oil and gas reserves continue to underpin its economic resilience and political leverage. The shadow fleet, including ships like the Boracay, forms a critical part of Moscow’s effort to evade Western sanctions and maintain its flow of energy exports, particularly to buyers in Asia and the Global South.

Meanwhile, new alliances are shifting the global balance of power. Russia has deepened its strategic partnership with China and Venezuela, while remaining an active member of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The rise of the Chinese digital yuan threatens the petrodollar’s dominance, while the West’s grip on global finance weakens. For Europe, these shifts compound the challenge: not only must it contend with Russian hybrid tactics at home, but it must also navigate a world where old certainties—about NATO, about energy security, about the rules of the game—no longer hold.

Denmark at the Crossroads: The Stakes for Europe

For ordinary Danes, the recent events have made the stakes tangible. The closure of airports, the sight of foreign military hardware in the skies, and the knowledge that their country may be targeted in a shadow war have brought a sense of unease. Yet, as Prime Minister Frederiksen emphasized, this is not just Denmark’s fight. Ukraine remains the “first line of defense,” but the implications of Russian hybrid warfare now reach deep into Western Europe’s heart.

Whether Europe can muster the political will, unity, and resources needed to confront these challenges remains an open question. The continent stands at a crossroads, its future security dependent not only on technology and military hardware, but on the strength of its alliances and the resolve of its leaders.

Denmark’s experience with suspected Russian hybrid attacks—combining drones, shadow fleet intrigue, and energy politics—exposes a new era of insecurity for Europe. The continent’s fractured response reveals that the greatest vulnerability may not be technical, but political: without unity and shared resolve, even the most advanced defenses can be undermined from within.