Europe is paralyzed; the timing is no coincidence and carries a clear message

Five drones were spotted over the Doel nuclear power plant near Antwerp.

“At first we detected three, but then there were five. They flew for about an hour,” said a spokesperson for Engie, the plant’s operator.

Although there was no security threat, the plant is designed to withstand the impact of a passenger plane such as a Boeing 737.

Liège Airport, a key logistics hub for cargo to Ukraine, had to suspend operations due to multiple drone sightings.

The Belgian government now expects the deployment of British, French, and German anti-drone units, particularly around the Kleine Brogel military base, home to the new F-35 fighter jets.

“Russia is the obvious likely suspect,” said Belgian Defense Minister Theo Franken.

His German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, was even more direct: “This is a message: ‘Do not touch frozen Russian assets.’ Belgium is currently deciding on the transfer of €140 billion for Ukraine’s defense. We all see the connection,” reports Večernji list, citing the British Telegraph.

The drone pattern is repeating.

At the end of September, shortly before the announcement of the sale of 150 Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, drones were spotted over Malmö, Lund, and the Karlskrona naval base.

On November 6, Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport was closed for several hours, with dozens of flights canceled or diverted.

“The timing of these incidents is no coincidence,” said Justin Kramp, director of the intelligence firm Sibylline.

“This is a sophisticated operation with minimal risk and maximum disruption,” he added.

The Telegraph, using ship-tracking data, also linked a series of incidents to a tanker from Russia’s “shadow fleet.” On September 22, the vessel was 90 kilometers from Copenhagen when the airport suspended operations.

Over the next three days, as it sailed along the Danish coast, four more airports were closed. Drones were also seen over the Skrydstrup and Karup military bases.

At the time, Denmark was amending legislation to allow a Ukrainian arms manufacturer to build a rocket fuel plant on its territory.

Another Baltic country on the frontline between NATO and Russia went a step further: on October 17, Estonian forces shot down a drone over the Reedo military base, where U.S. troops are stationed. No debris was found.

Later that month, drones were recorded flying over bases with British Challenger 2 tanks, while Oslo Airport on September 22 experienced the same problems as Copenhagen—the Russian tanker was nearby.

Norwegian police suspended the investigation due to “lack of evidence,” but British anti-drone equipment was deployed after 39 sightings in a single month.

Germany has also recorded similar incidents for years. This autumn, drones were seen over Kiel, Munich, Erding, Geilenkirchen (a NATO base), and Berlin-Brandenburg.

Although there is no conclusive proof, Moscow is likely using criminal networks for these operations, and intelligence circles are unanimous: this is a Russian campaign.

“It is no coincidence that this is happening now, as Europe decides on billions for Ukraine,” Kramp said.

“This is an escalation of hybrid warfare—cheap, effective, and hard to prove,” he added.