Denmark to ban all civilian drone flights on account of European summit

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Tabby Wilson

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/492d/live/22faa510-9ce9-11f0-928c-71dbb8619e94.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/492d/live/22faa510-9ce9-11f0-928c-71dbb8619e94.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/492d/live/22faa510-9ce9-11f0-928c-71dbb8619e94.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/492d/live/22faa510-9ce9-11f0-928c-71dbb8619e94.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/492d/live/22faa510-9ce9-11f0-928c-71dbb8619e94.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/492d/live/22faa510-9ce9-11f0-928c-71dbb8619e94.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/492d/live/22faa510-9ce9-11f0-928c-71dbb8619e94.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/492d/live/22faa510-9ce9-11f0-928c-71dbb8619e94.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="EPA An airport terminal with a black roof is pictured from above, with a series of black vehicles parked in front of the building. The airport control tower can be seen in the distance." class="sc-5340b511-0 bGQwLJ"/> EPA Denmark has banned all civilian drone flights this week forward of a European Union summit in Copenhagen, the nation's transport minister mentioned on Sunday.

The ministry mentioned the choice was made to be able to "simplify safety work" for the police, and so they couldn't settle for "overseas drones creating uncertainty and disruption".

Denmark is considered one of a number of European nations which have reported "drone incidents" in latest weeks, with drones sighted above Danish army websites as just lately as Saturday.

Defence ministers from 10 EU nations have agreed to create a "drone wall" in response to the sightings, and Nato says it has "enhanced vigilance" throughout the Baltic.

Of their assertion saying the ban, the transport ministry mentioned police had been on "considerably elevated alert" forward of this week's summit and that they wanted to "handle Danes and our company".

The ban will stay in place till 3 October, and violations may end in a tremendous or imprisonment for as much as two years.

Denmark presently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU.

Unidentified drones have been reported in Denmark since 22 September, when sightings pressured the closure of Copenhagen and Oslo airports.

Aalborg and Billund airports had been additionally pressured to droop operations final week on account of drone exercise.

Watch: Object seen flying away from Aalborg airport as drones disrupt flights

Danish investigators haven't but been capable of establish these accountable for the flights, however the defence minister known as it a "hybrid assault" that was a part of a "systematic operation".

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen mentioned that authorities had been nonetheless investigating who was behind the incursions, and refused to rule out Russia.

Moscow says it "firmly rejects" any suggestion that it was concerned within the Danish incidents.

Russia has been accused of conducting hybrid assaults prior to now, and Europe has been on excessive alert after a number of Nato member states reported Russian incursions of their airspaces.

Along with the stories from Denmark, Norway and Romania additionally each marked separate drone incidents over the weekend.

Norwegian airport operator Avinor reported drone "exercise" above Bronnoysund Airport on Sunday, and investigations are ongoing after "attainable sightings of drones" close to Norway's greatest army base on Saturday

Flights had been additionally diverted in Bucharest on Sunday after a drone was sighted in airspace above the airport by pilots of a Turkish Airways flight.