Munich airport resumes operations after drone sightings; Denmark prepares for Russian “hybrid war”

Munich airport has resumed flights after reported drone sightings forced it to halt operations, affecting thousands of customers. In turn, Denmark is preparing for a Russian "hybrid war" after multiple drone sightings.

Munich airport released a statement on a Friday evening, notifying that flights were stopped at 21:30 local time, affecting around 6,500 passengers.

The airport also had to ground at least 17 flights on Thursday evening, following multiple drone sightings in nearby airspace.

On Saturday morning, flights had been "gradually ramped up", although delays were expected throughout the day. On its website, Munich airport urges passengers to check the status of their flight before travelling to the airport.

This became the latest in a series of drone incidents that affected Europe over the last weeks.

Copenhagen and Oslo airports were also forced to shut down after drone sightings near the airports and military airspaces. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says a "hybrid war" in Europe is underway, calling it "the most difficult and dangerous situation since the end of the Second World War."

Since the drones first appeared in Denmark at the end of September, the government again reminded citizens to stock up enough supplies to be able to survive a minimum of three days with no access to electricity, food, or fresh water. These guidelines were previously not taken seriously, but now residents are concerned, and more news publications are discussing them in detail.

On Thursday, Belgian authorities were investigating 15 reported drone sightings over the Elsenborn military site, located near the German border. The drones then reportedly flew from Belgium to Germany, where they were spotted in the small town of Düren, according to local police.

Although officials were unable to identify the drones’ origins, Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced plans to discuss the question of anti-drone defences on Saturday at a meeting of European interior ministers.