The interval of intense, unexplained unmanned aerial automobile (UAV) exercise over Danish and Norwegian installations (22 to twenty-eight September 2025) was instantly labeled by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen because the “most severe assault on Danish important infrastructure up to now”. These incursions—which compelled the non permanent closure of Copenhagen Airport (CPH) and have been famous repeatedly close to key army websites—have been attributed to a “succesful actor” conducting a possible hybrid operation.
The pressing response to this perceived risk, nevertheless, seems to have culminated in a profoundly harmful safety failure on 28 September 2025 when Danish army personnel could have mistakenly focused a civilian plane.
The alleged taking pictures befell at Borris camp, also referred to as Borrislejren or Borris Skydeterræn. Positioned roughly 12 km east of Skjern in Vestjylland, that is the biggest heath in Denmark, protecting 4,743 hectares (47 km²). Established between 1902 and 1903, the vary is a typical coaching space for all the Danish Armed Forces.
The vary is designed uniquely in order that taking pictures is carried out in the direction of the centre of the realm. Drone flying shouldn’t be permitted over the realm except particularly authorised by the Armed Forces..
On the night of 28 September, it’s alleged {that a} soldier from the Danish Defence Forces fired a number of volleys of gunfire at a big, unknown drone over the Borris camp.
This tried kinetic motion occurred when the item seemingly entered a closed army space.
The Defence Command refused to touch upon the precise incident, stating solely that the choice to have interaction a goal is predicated on a selected operational evaluation.
Nonetheless, the report of photographs being fired was disclosed to journalists by “a number of unbiased sources throughout the Danish army”. Eyewitnesses close to the army camp confirmed they noticed the drone and heard gunshots, with one resident, Michael Knuhtsen, stating the item got here flying from the north, over the town, in the direction of Borris camp earlier than he heard the photographs. The drone was reportedly not neutralized and subsequently continued flying.
Whereas the army remained formally silent, the true nature of the item fired upon was shortly introduced into query by unbiased aviation specialists. ThomasH, a Member on the discussion board Metabunk and a YouTuber, posted his evaluation, stating unequivocally:
“It seems the army tried to shoot down a ‘drone’ on September 28 – I discovered it was a airplane heading for Billund Airport, 9000 ft up !!”.
Thomas utilized flight radar information to substantiate that the item an eyewitness noticed flying from the north over the taking pictures space simply after 8:00 p.m. native time was a airplane. This plane was travelling at 9,000 ft on its option to Billund Airport.
Thomas reasoned: “The taking pictures itself nonetheless hasn’t been formally confirmed, because the army gained’t remark—however there’s little question in my thoughts that the ‘drone’ the pointing-guy noticed was that airplane”. He concluded that if a civilian eyewitness mistook the airplane for a drone, it’s totally believable {that a} soldier seconds later, when it flew over their space, made the identical mistake.
This implies that the incident could have been the “first mistaken kinetic firing within the EU”, highlighting how the continual stream of drone sightings—or ‘drone paranoia’—can lead floor personnel to misidentify routine air site visitors.
The deployment of reside ammunition on this context carries unacceptable dangers, no matter whether or not the goal is hit. This extreme hazard was highlighted by Gareth Corfield, Transport Correspondent for The Telegraph newspaper, who issued a stark warning concerning uncontrolled firing:
“A bullet fired upwards at 30-45 levels travels as much as 5 miles. When it comes all the way down to earth once more, it may possibly nonetheless kill. Should you shoot at and miss a small shifting goal like a drone, individuals nowhere close to the suspected incursion could possibly be significantly injured or worse.”.
This danger of misidentification resulting in potential tragedy echoes the precise warnings issued by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) towards the usage of kinetic weapons in the course of the Gatwick incidents in 2018.
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