Luxembourg probes drone sightings that halted airport operations

Luxembourg's authorities are probing recent drone sightings that prompted a temporary suspension of operations at the country's main airport overnight. Prime Minister Luc Frieden stated that potentially larger drones had been observed in Luxembourg's airspace over the past few days, though their origin remains unclear. The incident occurred amid heightened concerns in Europe over hybrid attacks from Russia.

Frieden said Luxembourg was collaborating with NATO allies in the investigation. Flight operations were briefly halted at Luxembourg Airport, affecting over 1,800 passengers whose flights were diverted to other airports such as Brussels, Paris, and Frankfurt. The airline, Luxair, is cooperating with the airport, relevant authorities, and operational partners to assist affected passengers and restore its flight schedule.

Operations resumed on Saturday, but further disruptions were expected. This marks a new occurrence for Luxembourg, though not entirely unprecedented for neighboring countries, as highlighted by Frieden following an emergency meeting with Luxembourg's defence and interior ministers. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, European allies have been wary of "hybrid attacks" linked to Moscow, which have included drone flights near sensitive sites, airspace violations, and cyberattacks.

Drone incursions have mostly affected nations on NATO's eastern flank but have also been reported over sensitive locations in Belgium and Denmark, as well as an explosive-laden drone found at a German airport, which Berlin attributed to Moscow.