Belgium’s national security council will convene an emergency meeting on Thursday after drone sightings caused disruption at airports and raised security concerns. The incidents, which occurred on Tuesday evening, led to the suspension of arrivals and departures at Brussels Airport, the country’s busiest, resulting in dozens of flight cancellations. Liège Airport, a major freight hub, also closed its airspace, causing further cancellations, delays, and diversions.
In addition to the airport disruptions, the mayor of Diest reported that police and army officers spotted four drones at the nearby Schaffen military airbase on Tuesday. These sightings follow earlier investigations into mystery drones at several military bases over the weekend, including Kleine-Brogel, which houses Belgium’s F-16 fighter jets and is reported to store US nuclear weapons.
Belgium’s defence minister, Theo Francken, told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday that the incidents appeared coordinated, involving large drones flying in formation. “It is in line with the hybrid techniques seen in other countries. This is not just someone who flies a drone by chance over a military site or airport,” he said, noting indications of structured organisation.
While the Belgian government has not officially attributed responsibility, a source told the Belga news agency that security services had “little doubt” a state actor was behind the sightings, “very probably Russia”. The drone incursions in Belgium are part of a broader surge in European airspace intrusions since mid-September, with sightings reported in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Poland, Norway, and Spain.
Interior minister Bernard Quintin said the repetition of drone incidents “directly affected the security of our country” and called for the security council meeting. Brussels Airport warned passengers of possible further disruptions, with a spokesperson confirming 95 flights had been cancelled and 400 to 500 people spent the night at the airport.
