Multiple drones have been spotted above the Belgian army base of Marche-en-Famenne in the south of the country. Authorities have not yet identified where they come from.
“We knew this would happen. The air route is the simplest way to gather information about sites,” the commanding officer of the military base said yesterday morning, shortly after the drones were spotted.
Such apparent violations of European Union airspace have multiplied in recent months.
“Flying drones over military quarters is absolutely forbidden. We must be able to take them down,” Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken posted on X yesterday.
“Police and ADIV [Belgium’s military intelligence and security service] are investigating this worrying incident,” Francken wrote.
In September, more than a dozen Russian drones were seen over Poland and on October 28, more than 20. That same day, Polish jets intercepted a Russian aircraft on a reconnaissance mission in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, flying without a filed flight plan and with its transponder turned off, the Polish army said.
Earlier the same week, a wave of balloons from Belarus entered Lithuanian airspace.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had described the situation as a “threat”. “This is destabilisation. This is provocation. We call it by its name: A hybrid threat,” she wrote on X on October 27.
Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius had already written on X on October 11: “All of Europe is under threat. Russian drones can strike Belgium, the Netherlands, France and more.
“From ships, drones can target all coasts of Europe. All member states need capabilities to detect drones.”
He is part of the right-wing Belgian Government that took office in February and pledged to spend far more on defence than previous governments.
Belgium’s defence minister said: “Who wants peace prepares for war?” presenting his strategic vision and a detailed roadmap for huge investment in the defence sector.
In the summer, Belgium approved its new military strategy comprising €34 billion in investments, 11 new jets and the recruitment of 10,000 extra soldiers.
