Camilla Jessen
Three drones flew over Doel Nuclear Plant as Europe sees surge in suspicious aerial activity.
Three drones were seen flying over Belgium’s Doel Nuclear Power Plant on the evening of Nov. 9, sparking fresh concerns over possible espionage operations targeting critical infrastructure in Europe.
According to Deutsche Welle, the incident did not disrupt operations at the plant near Antwerp, but it adds to a growing list of drone sightings across the country in recent days.
A spokesperson for energy company Engie, which operates the Doel facility, confirmed the plant remained secure during the incident.
Belgian military, airports also targeted by drones
The sighting follows a series of similar incidents.
On Nov. 3, the Belgian army authorized soldiers to shoot down any unidentified drones over military bases.
A day later, drone activity briefly halted air traffic at Brussels Airport, with some flights diverted to Liege — which was also temporarily shut down due to a second drone report.
From Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, drones were spotted multiple times over Belgium’s Kleine Brogel Air Base, home to NATO nuclear weapons.
Defense Minister Theo Francken suggested the wave of sightings could be part of a foreign surveillance effort. While he did not name a specific country, he linked the activity to recent Russian airspace violations in Europe.
Similar incidents
Similar incidents have been reported in Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands, raising alarm over possible hybrid warfare tactics.
In response, Ukraine has announced it will open defense production offices in Berlin and Copenhagen by the end of 2025.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the offices will help Ukraine scale up drone manufacturing with European partners and boost weapons exports.
As investigations continue, Belgian and European officials have not ruled out Russian involvement
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation
