Russia was not involved in the drone incursions in Denmark’s airspace and the temporary closure of Danish airports, the Russian Embassy in Denmark said in a statement on Thursday. “The Russian side categorically rejects absurd speculation about its involvement in the incidents,” the embassy stated. Earlier in the day, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen ensured that the country is not under direct military threat, although he suggested that this incident “does not look like a coincidence.
Danish defense confirms drone sightings at military sites…… Moscow is waging a deliberate campaign of hybrid warfare
Russia Blamed as 500 Drones Rattle Denmark
Denmark was thrown into turmoil after more than 500 possible drone sightings were reported in just 24 hours, forcing airports to close and fueling fears across Europe of coordinated Russian hybrid attacks, the Daily Mail reported. Police said they have yet to verify the 500 reports but urged citizens to remain alert and provide detailed descriptions. The wave of sightings followed back-to-back disruptions at Copenhagen, Aalborg, and Billund airports this week, grounding flights and leaving thousands stranded. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen described the incidents as “the work of a professional actor” and labeled them a “hybrid attack.”
He said the incursions targeted not only airports but also Skrydstrup air base, home to Denmark’s fleet of F-16 and F-35 fighters, and a military site in Holstebro.
“There can be no doubt that everything points to this being the work of a professional actor when we are talking about such a systematic operation in so many locations at virtually the same time,” Poulsen said. “This is what I would define as a hybrid attack using different types of drones.” The incidents come as European leaders gather in Brussels to debate plans for a continent-wide “drone wall” to guard against incursions. Denmark, Finland, Poland, the Baltic states, and Ukraine are expected to coordinate detection and defense systems.
European Commission officials said the project could draw on the bloc’s 150 billion euro ($175 billion) Security Action for Europe fund.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to discuss “the serious situation related to drones over Danish airports.” Rutte said NATO allies are working on ways to secure critical infrastructure, though officials admitted spotting small drones remains a major challenge.
Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said: “We’re not talking about big fighter jets and planes coming in. No, we are talking about the latest technology developments. These drones have to be detected, and then, second track [will be to decide] what will we do to fight back against these drones.” The Kremlin has denied involvement, calling the accusations “absurd” and the incidents a “staged provocation.” Still, Russia’s ambassador to France, Alexey Meshkov, warned that shooting down its aircraft “would be war.” Poland has already acted, shooting down three Russian drones earlier this month. Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned the situation was “the closest we have been to open conflict since World War II” and vowed that Warsaw would respond if its skies were violated. President Donald Trump told the United Nations that NATO nations had the right to shoot down Russian aircraft if they crossed into allied airspace, underscoring the gravity of the escalating tensions. Drone incidents are only the latest in a series of provocations. Estonia reported three Russian fighter jets entering its airspace last week, while Romania said one of its border regions was struck by a drone. Britain also shadowed Russian warships and cargo vessels through the English Channel with the HMS Iron Duke and a Wildcat helicopter.
European officials increasingly believe Moscow is waging a deliberate campaign of hybrid warfare designed to destabilize NATO without triggering direct confrontation.
Russia Escalates Election Meddling in Moldova and Tests NATO in the Baltics
Russian influence operations are saturating Moldova’s election cycle, targeting the pro-EU government with disinformation on energy insecurity, corruption, and minority rights. Moscow’s play is not necessarily to deliver a clean win for its preferred proxies, but to fracture Moldova’s EU consensus and force a hung or contested outcome. Monitoring teams are already tracking coordinated online pushes tied to Russian assets, while local opposition networks amplify the same themes on the ground. Western backers are trying to offset this by underwriting election oversight and energy subsidies, but the real vulnerability is political cohesion in Chisinau. The most acute risk is not a decisive opposition victory but post-election protests and legitimacy disputes, where Russian-linked groups could drive instability at the street level. The Russian air incursion over Estonia and drone activity over Poland are probes. Moscow is testing NATO’s red lines, calculating that the alliance cannot risk uncontrolled escalation. Riga, Vilnius, and Warsaw want NATO procedures to evolve from warnings into enforceable engagement rules. Warsaw has already signaled it will not wait for NATO leadership and is prepared to act unilaterally if needed. London is likewise signaling it is ready to move directly against Russian aircraft, NATO or not. The CFR assessment this week underlines the point: Russia’s tactic is to exploit procedural ambiguity and sow fear.
Hegseth has ordered hundreds of generals to a meeting
The Pentagon confirmed in a statement Thursday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week” amid reports that a major gathering of hundreds of the nation’s top military commanders has been abruptly scheduled at a Marine Corps base in Virgini
Following a Washington Post report of the meeting — which was also later reported on by other outlets — Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, a senior adviser to Hegseth, said in a statement to Spectrum News that the secretary would be addressing senior military leaders but did not offer further details. Spectrum News has reached out to the White House for additional comment. “I love it. I think it’s great,” President Donald Trump told reporters when asked about the meeting during an unrelated Oval Office event Thursday. “I’ll be there if they want me, but why is that such a big deal?” “Remember I’m the president of peace,” Trump continued. “Isn’t it nice that people are coming from all over the world to be with us?” Hundreds of generals and admirals are being summoned to the northern Virginia base for the sudden meeting, three people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The people, who described the move as unusual, were not authorized to publicly discuss the sensitive plans and spoke on condition of anonymity.
NN: One does not call in all your generals for a sit down unless its something very important.
Russia may be closer to winning the war then many think
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly deployed around 700,000 troops in Ukraine, marking one of the largest mobilizations since the conflict began. With Ukraine under intense pressure and President Volodymyr Zelensky struggling to hold the front many wonder: is Russia now very close to winning this war?
Putin: Russia making progress in all areas
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a statement on Friday that the country is making progress in all spheres, including military, security and economy. Putin remarked that Russian authorities are “strengthening the political system in the country, despite all the difficulties.” He went on to say that having political stability is of utmost importance in today’s times, as this is the “foundation” for achieving success in all areas. Talking about developments, Putin recently announced that Moscow will launch the first nuclear power system using a closed fuel cycle.
NN: Putin must be stopped. Either in Keeve now or Paris later
Trump “Ukraine, backed by Europe, could reclaim all its territory”
In an abrupt change showing his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump said Ukraine could win back all of its territory from Russia with the help of its European allies. Trump has previously said both sides would have to cede land to end the war. Russia currently controls around one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, including the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was illegally annexed in 2014. After a speech at the UN General Assembly where he called on European allies during his address to immediately stop buying oil from Russia, Trump told reporters at the start of a meeting with Zelenskyy that NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter the alliance’s airspace. He followed that with comments in a social media post after the Zelenskyy meeting saying Russia has been fighting “aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win.” “After getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia Military and Economic situation and, after seeing the Economic trouble it is causing Russia, I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form,” Trump wrote. Zelenskyy noted the “big shift” in Trump’s comments while speaking alone at a news conference, adding that the US leader’s understanding of the situation on the ground in Ukraine is now much clearer. “Trump had a relationship with Putin and he trusted him. Putin was telling Trump fairytales,” Zelenskyy said, referring to Trump as a “gamechanger.” “I told Trump that Putin will not wait for the end of his war in Ukraine — he will try to find a weak spot in NATO and this is already happening…Putin will want to ‘exchange’ one war for another.” Trump said he could impose sanctions on Russia to stop the fighting but without similar actions from Europe, “we’re all wasting a lot of time.” Sanctions, along with security guarantees in the event of a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow, are areas Zelenskyy is hoping to get White House support during their discussions. In response to Trump’s social media remarks, Russian Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky told reporters: “Don’t get so excited about every tweet.” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she welcomed Trump’s shift in his view on the war, saying, “we are very positive about this, because these are all the right things.” “Yes, we should stop buying Russian energy. Yes, Ukraine should win the war and all these other statements that [Trump] made today regarding Ukraine and Russia,” Kallas said. Trump also appeared to give Ukraine a pledge of military support saying the US will continue to supply weapons to allies “for NATO to do what they want with them.” Zelenskyy also noted that Trump was “ready” to give Ukraine security guarantees after the war is over.
NN: Its not going to be that easy
Russia Preparing for War With NATO
President Vladimir Putin is quietly laying the groundwork for a potential conflict with NATO, reports suggest. Russia is expanding its troop presence along stretches of its border with the West, ramping up its military spending at a record pace, and intensifying covert operations against the West. NATO must “expect the unexpected” and prepare for a Russian attack, Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer, the alliance’s military committee chief, said in Brussels last January.
Meanwhile, intelligence and military officials have warned in recent weeks that NATO member states must be ready for a potential conflict with Russia.
Russia is expanding its military presence along its borders with Finland and Norway in preparation for a potential face off with the military alliance, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday. The Kremlin is planning to establish a new army headquarters in the Russian city of Petrozavodsk, about 100 miles east of the Finnish border, which will oversee tens of thousands of troops over the next several years. Many of these troops will be deployed to the area after the Ukraine war ends. At the same time, Russia is ramping up military recruitment and accelerating weapons production. Russian military experts told the newspaper that the buildup along the Finnish border is likely part of President Vladimir Putin’s broader preparations for a possible conflict with NATO. “When the troops are back [from Ukraine], they will be looking over the border at a country they consider an adversary,” said Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Center for the Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, a Moscow-based defense think tank. “The logic of the last decade shows we’re expecting some conflict with NATO.” There are indications that Russia is starting to hold back recently produced equipment from deployment to Ukraine, and is instead reallocating some personnel to other regions, including the Baltics and Nordics, Edward Arnold, senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank, told Newsweek.
Germany’s intelligence community has sounded the alarm that Russia’s ambitions go beyond Ukraine. A report by Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND) in March warned that Putin is preparing for a conflict with NATO.
“Russia sees itself in a systemic conflict with the West and is prepared to implement its imperialistic goals through military force, even beyond Ukraine,” the report said. Meanwhile, Lithuania’s intelligence service, VSD, assessed that while Moscow may not yet be ready to launch a full-scale attack on the alliance, it may attempt to “test NATO” with a limited military operation against one or more member states to gauge how seriously the bloc will uphold its collective defense obligations. An attack by Russia on any NATO member would trigger Article 5 of the alliance’s charter, which states that a strike on one member state would be met with a collective response. The Danish Defense Intelligence Service (DDIS) also warned in February that Russia could be ready to wage a “large-scale war” in Europe within the next five years. While “there is currently no threat of a regular military attack on the Kingdom,” it is likely that the “military threat from Russia will increase over the coming years,” it said. Russia’s military spending is increasing at a record pace, with expenditures expected to reach around 120 billion euros in 2025—more than 6 percent of the country’s GDP. That’s compared to 3.6 percent prior to the war. The Russian army is also set to expand to 1.5 million troops, while the volume of weapons and equipment stationed along the NATO border is expected to grow by 30–50 percent, according to BILD’s Russia edition. According to a Military Balance report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies released February, Russia’s military expenditure has surpassed Europe. “The data indicate that Russia poses a serious threat to the United States and Europe and that the Russian government, including President Vladimir Putin, cannot be trusted,” the report said. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned Putin in March of a “devastating” response should Moscow attack any of the alliance’s members. “If anyone were to miscalculate and think they can get away with an attack on Poland or any other ally, they will be met with the full force of this fierce alliance. Our reaction will be devastating. This must be clear to Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and anyone else who wants to attack us,” Rutte said.
Zelensky urges Russian officials to end war or “find shelters”…… Zelensky: Trump greenlit retaliatory strikes against Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued an ultimatum to Russian officials to stop the war or “find bomb shelters.” In a fragment of his interview with Axios published on Thursday, Zelensky said that the Ukrainian military will not hesitate to target the centers of Russian power, such as the Kremlin, if Russian strikes on Ukraine’s infrastructure and civilians continue. “They have to know where the bomb shelters are,” he stated, ensuring that “they will need” them. However, he emphasized that civilians will never be the targets of Ukrainian attacks. Additionally, Zelensky noted that he is “ready” to leave the office after the war ends, insisting that his “goal” is to bring this conflict to an end. The president also pointed out that he would push for elections if a ceasefire with Russia is reached.
Zelensky: Trump greenlit retaliatory strikes against Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during an interview with Axios published on Thursday that US President Donald Trump gave the green light to carry out retaliatory strikes on Russia with American weapons if Russia attacks Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
“If they attack our energy, President Trump supports that we can answer on energy,” Zelensky told Barak Ravid in “The Axios Show.”
Zelensky added that when the two leaders met on Tuesday, he asked Trump for one specific item: a new weapons system that would compel Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in talks. Zelensky said he would name the system once the cameras were off. Although he acknowledged that Ukraine already has drones capable of striking far within Russia, he added that he sought an additional weapons system to speed up the war’s conclusion.
Chinese drone experts worked with sanctioned Russian arms maker
Chinese drone experts have flown to Russia to conduct technical development work on military drones at a state-owned weapons manufacturer that is under Western sanctions, according to two European security officials and documents seen by Reuters. The Chinese experts have visited arms maker IEMZ Kupol on more than half a dozen occasions since the second quarter of last year. During that time, Kupol also received shipments of Chinese-made attack and surveillance drones via a Russian intermediary, according to the documents and two officials. In September last year, Reuters documented that Kupol had developed a new drone, the Garpiya-3, in China with the help of local specialists. The officials, who asked that neither they nor their organisation be identified due to the sensitivity of the information, said the collaboration suggested a deepening relationship between Kupol and Chinese companies in developing drones – which have proven to be critically important to Russia’s war in Ukraine. The drones were supplied by Russian defence procurement company TSK Vektor, which is under U.S. and EU sanctions, according to the officials and documents. TSK Vektor and Sichuan AEE did not respond to requests for comment. The U.S. and European governments have repeatedly expressed concern at Chinese companies supplying Russian arms makers, and have imposed sanctions on some of them. In July it was reported that Kupol was producing thousands of Garpiya one-way attack drones using Chinese parts, including engines. Garpiyas – which are modelled on Iran’s Shahed drone – can fly hundreds of miles to pre-programmed targets before diving out of the sky and exploding on impact. Kyiv has said around 500 are being used each month in Ukraine. A group of Chinese experts visited Kupol’s facilities in the city of Izhevsk to assemble the drones and train Kupol staff to use them, a Kupol document said. The experts then visited Chebarkul, it added. Airline bookings seen by Reuters showed the Chinese experts were due to fly out of Chelyabinsk the day after the tests.
The letter and flight reports described the Chinese experts as employees of TSK Vektor, the Russian procurement company. However, the European officials said they assessed that the individuals were AEE staff.
They cited AEE’s response to feedback from the test flights of the A200 drones, reviewed by Reuters, which said it was drawing on information from AEE technicians.
Subsequently, AEE billed TSK Vektor more than 5 million yuan ($700,000) for several A200s fitted with anti-jamming equipment as well as other goods in the second quarter of 2025, according to an invoice and an account statement.