Unknown drones have been spotted near military installations in Sweden and over critical infrastructure in Finland and Lithuania in recent days, forcing flight disruptions and prompting security investigations, according to reports from multiple national broadcasters.
Since then, violations have affected Finland, Lithuania, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Estonia, and Romania, involving both civilian drone disruptions and military aircraft incursions.
Sweden reports unknown drones near naval base
Multiple residents reported suspicious drone activity over the Karlskrona archipelago on the evening of 25 September, according to Swedish broadcaster SVT. Police responded to the scene near the Möcklösund bridge, where officers observed suspected drones themselves.
“It’s a larger variant, similar to the one that was over Denmark and Skåne,” duty pre-investigation leader Mattias Lundgren told SVT.
According to police command center reports, two drones displayed flashing red and green lights, with multiple witnesses providing accounts. The area lies several kilometers from the naval base in Karlskrona, though Swedish Navy officials stated they had no knowledge of the incident.
Police filed reports for violations of aviation law and protection law, though no suspects have been identified and no equipment was seized.
Swedish authorities identified connections between their sightings and previous incidents in Denmark and Norway. “We react because the drone probably resembles them,” Mattias Lundgren told SVT.
Additionally, on the night of 27 September, several incidents involving drones occurred at Danish Defense Ministry facilities, with the ministry confirming deployment of unspecified “capabilities” to combat the drones, according to broadcaster DR.
Communications manager Helene Nyberg at Blekinge Air Force Wing told SVT that neither F17 nor the Navy had reason to become involved in the investigation.
Drones spotted near airport in Lithuania
On 26 September, Lithuania’s Public Security Service recorded three prohibited drone flights near Vilnius Airport, according to the National Crisis Management Center. The unauthorized drone activity affected seven commercial flights, with four aircraft experiencing departure delays and three facing delayed arrivals.
This marks a continuation of previous disruptions at the airport, where civilian drones have forced two aircraft to land at alternative airports in earlier incidents, according to Lithuanian broadcaster LRT.
Lithuanian authorities have established significant penalties for drone violations, with fines ranging from 500 to 1,000 euros for first-time general rule violations and 1,000 to 1,500 euros with equipment confiscation for repeat offenses, according to Air Navigation officials.
Drone over Finland’s power plant no-fly zone
An unknown individual operated a drone over the Valajaskoski hydroelectric power station in Rovaniemi last weekend, according to Finnish broadcaster Yle. A passerby spotted the drone and contacted police, with regional law enforcement confirming the incident while withholding details due to ongoing investigations.
Since August, power plants have been designated as no-fly zones where drone use is prohibited. The Valajaskoski facility, owned by Kemijoki Oy company, maintains video surveillance systems, but emergency service manager Juha Kytölahti told Yle that cameras did not capture a drone operator.
Russia involved in previous Europe airspace violations
On 13 September, Romanian F-16 fighters detected and tracked a drone in national airspace until it disappeared from radar approximately 20 kilometers southwest of Kiliya Veche commune.
September 19 saw three Russian MiG-31 fighters enter Estonian airspace for 12 minutes, while Poland’s Border Service reported two Russian fighters violated the security zone of the Petrobaltic drilling platform in the Baltic Sea the same day.
On 25 September, Hungarian Gripen fighter jets intercepted five Russian military aircraft approaching Latvian airspace over the Baltic Sea. NATO Air Command reported that the Russian formation consisted of one Su-30, one Su-35, and three MiG-31s that failed to comply with international flight safety regulations.
In response to the escalating violations, NATO launched the “Eastern Guardian” initiative to strengthen defense of Europe’s eastern flank through ground force deployments in eight countries.