Authorities closed Brussels Zaventem Airport after reports of a drone flying over the airfield on Tuesday night. Belgium’s public broadcaster VRT said all departures and arrivals were halted following the sighting. Flights briefly resumed before officials shut the airspace again when a second drone appeared.
Liège Airport, which initially received diverted flights from Brussels, also suspended operations after a separate drone report. A spokesperson for skeyes, Belgium’s civil aviation authority, confirmed that the first incident occurred around 8 p.m. local time. Flights were redirected to Ostend-Bruges and Charleroi Brussels South as a precaution.
NATO and EU Heighten Security Over Airspace Breaches
NATO and the European Union raised their alert levels after several suspected Russian airspace intrusions across Europe. At the end of September, NATO warned Moscow that it would defend its skies “by all means necessary.” The warning followed Russian drone crashes in Poland and reports of unauthorized fighter jet entries into Estonian airspace.
Poland’s 10 September incident marked the first direct NATO-Russia encounter since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Estonia later accused Russia of sending three MiG-31 jets into its airspace for 12 minutes, a claim the Kremlin denied.
Europe Responds to Rising Russian Provocations
The repeated airspace violations alarmed European leaders and raised questions about NATO’s readiness to counter growing Russian aggression. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced the creation of the Eastern Sentry programme to deter future incursions and demonstrate solidarity with Poland.
“We continue to see Russian drones entering allied airspace,” Rutte said. “Intentional or not, it remains unacceptable. NATO stands fully with Poland and will defend every member of our alliance.”
The incidents underscore rising tensions between Moscow and the West, as European nations tighten air defenses and coordinate closely to prevent further violations.
