Increasing Drone Incursions Over Dutch Military Installations Raise Security Concerns

Fri Dec 05 2025 04:46:07 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Unidentified drones have been sighted over Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands, prompting military action and sparking investigations amid rising tensions in northern Europe.

Unidentified drones hovered over the Volkel Air Base, a NATO military facility in the Netherlands, leading to military action to neutralize them. Dutch officials are investigating the incidents involving drone sightings that have surged in northern European nations, raising security concerns linked to potential hybrid warfare strategies. As authorities seek to bolster defenses, the Netherlands joins others in responding to these escalating drone threats.

Unidentified drones have been observed hovering over a military base used by NATO in the Netherlands, the Dutch defence ministry has reported.

Military personnel deployed weapons to attempt to take down the drones spotted near Volkel Air Base, north of Eindhoven, between 19:00 and 21:00 local time (18:00-20:00 GMT) last Friday.

The defence ministry noted that the drones departed and were never recovered.

As one of several northern European countries experiencing a surge in drone sightings around military installations, the Netherlands reports increased activity involving drones at various bases. Russia has denied any involvement in these incidents.

In response to the recent sighting, Dutch police have initiated an investigation but declined to provide further details for security reasons.

Volkel Air Base, which serves both the Royal Netherlands Air Force and a US Air Force squadron as part of NATO, has witnessed similar drone sightings alongside reports of disturbances at military installations in Belgium, Denmark, and Germany in recent weeks.

Such sightings have not only disrupted air traffic but have also raised significant security alarms.

A troubling lack of evidence regarding the origins of the drones has hindered investigations, with many cases seeing the drones leaving the scene without trace.

Officials in Europe have speculated about these incidents being linked to hybrid warfare associated with Russia, particularly since the affected nations are allied with Ukraine.

Despite these allegations, the Kremlin maintains it is uninvolved in the drone incursions.

In a collaborative response, defence ministers from ten EU nations have agreed to establish a drone wall to enhance security measures, with individual countries seeking to implement anti-drone defense strategies.