Minister says drones were seen over Belgian army base for third night
(MENAFN) Drones have been observed flying over a Belgian military installation near the Dutch border for a third consecutive night, the country’s defence minister confirmed.
A helicopter was dispatched to the Kleine-Brogel base after the drones were seen, which then moved toward the Netherlands, according to national reports. Defence Minister Theo Francken described the incident as “a clear mission targeting Kleine Brogel” and said authorities are investigating.
Speaking on Belgian radio, Francken suggested the flights appeared to be an espionage operation but cautioned against speculation on the perpetrators. “I have some ideas, but I'm going to be cautious,” he said.
Similar drone activity has also been reported over other military air bases, including Leopoldsburg in central Limburg and Marche-en-Famenne in the country’s south-east. Over the past weekend, drones were additionally seen near Ostend on the coast and Antwerp’s Deurne airport.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of drone-related disruptions across European airspace in recent months. In October, unverified drone sightings forced Munich Airport in Germany to suspend operations twice within a single day. The previous month, Denmark reported drone incursions over its airports, which officials described as the work of a “professional actor,” though the Danish Defence Minister said there was no evidence implicating Russia. Russia’s embassy in Copenhagen dismissed the claims as “absurd speculations.”
In September, Estonia and Poland requested NATO consultations after around 20 drones believed to be Russian entered Polish airspace, while Russian MiG-31 jets were reported in Estonia. Moscow denied deliberately violating either country’s airspace.
The European Commission has proposed four new defence initiatives, including a counter-drone system, as part of its strategy to strengthen the continent’s security readiness by 2030.
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