Belgium’s Liege airport temporarily halts flights after new drone sighting

Second specified disruption to Liege airdrome successful a week pursuing mysterious drone sightings connected Tuesday evening.

Belgium’s Liege airdrome has temporarily halted flights for a 2nd clip this week aft different drone sighting, the country’s aerial postulation power work reported.

A drone was spotted astatine astir 7:30am (06:30 GMT) connected Friday, forcing the airdrome to adjacent for 30 minutes. Flights person present resumed, said a spokesperson for the Skeyes aerial postulation power service.

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The disruption follows drone sightings implicit airports successful Brussels and Liege connected Tuesday evening, resulting successful the diversion of immoderate incoming planes and the grounding of others that were owed to depart.

Dozens of rider and cargo flights were cancelled, and immoderate 500 passengers were forced to walk the nighttime astatine Brussels airdrome successful the Belgian capital.

The drone sightings successful Brussels and Liege travel a akin incidental connected Saturday, erstwhile 3 unauthorised drones were spotted adjacent a subject base, according to Minister of Defence Theo Francken.

Drone sightings person go a changeless successful Belgium successful caller days. The authorities called an exigency gathering connected Thursday to code the issue. Francken has described the drone incursions arsenic a coordinated attack, without specifying who is down them.

‘Hybrid warfare’

Mysterious drones person besides caused large disruptions crossed Europe successful caller months amid deepening concerns that Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine whitethorn spill implicit crossed Europe’s borders.

Since September, drones person been spotted adjacent civilian airports and subject facilities successful countries including Denmark, Germany, and Norway.

Denmark’s quality work has linked the drone flights to Russia, and described them arsenic a signifier of hybrid warfare intended to “put unit connected [Europe] without crossing the enactment into equipped struggle successful a accepted sense”, according to Reuters quality agency.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called the incursions “hybrid warfare”. While she did not clasp Russia liable for the incidents, she said it was wide Russia’s purpose was to “sow division” successful Europe.

Moscow has denied immoderate transportation with the incidents, and determination has been nary grounds to straight nexus the drones to Russia.

In September, Polish and NATO forces changeable down drones violating the country’s airspace during a Russian aerial onslaught connected neighbouring Ukraine.