Air traffic over the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven was suspended after unidentified drones were seen in the vicinity of the main airport and a nearby military base. The first sightings occurred late on Friday above Volkel Air Base, where personnel even fired on the devices in an attempt to bring them down, but the drones were not recovered. Additional activity close to Eindhoven Airport on Saturday led authorities to close the airspace to both civilian and military flights. Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans said that Dutch counter-drone capabilities were on standby to respond. For security reasons, officials declined to disclose exactly how the craft were detected or the specifics of the engagement at Volkel. Volkel, used by the Royal Netherlands Air Force, also hosts a United States Air Force unit stationed there as part of NATO. The recent incidents are part of a wider series of nighttime drone intrusions at military sites and airfields across northern Europe since September, with reports from the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Germany. Investigations have been hindered by a lack of physical evidence: in many cases the drones leave the area before they can be recovered, making it difficult to trace their origin. Some European officials have suggested the sightings may represent a form of "hybrid" hostile activity aimed at countries backing Ukraine, but Moscow has denied any involvement. In response to the wave of incursions, defence ministers from ten EU nations have agreed to develop a coordinated "drone wall" and several countries have moved to strengthen their anti-drone measures. Individual governments have also taken steps such as rapidly bolstering airport defences and imposing temporary bans on civilian drone flights ahead of sensitive events.
