Recent drone sightings that disrupted air traffic in Copenhagen and Oslo may have originated from Russian vessels in the Baltic Sea, raising concerns over hybrid warfare tactics, reports Kiev's United24 Media.

Defense Express said the drones were likely fixed-wing UAVs with electric engines, not consumer quadcopters, and were operated by skilled controllers. Strict no-fly zones around airports make land-based launches improbable.

Danish police suggested the drones may have been launched from ships offshore, a method consistent with past Russian trials. In 2020, ZALA tested drone launches from moving boats, and in 2024 repeated trials from sea platforms included strike drones.

Defense Express noted that drones such as reconnaissance UAVs and decoys like the Gerbera can be deployed from ships using pneumatic or elastic catapults. Russia has also developed mobile and mesh communication systems for long-range control from international waters.

Launching drones from civilian tankers in the so-called "shadow fleet" could allow operations near European airspace while avoiding national jurisdictions. This complicates tracking and attribution, especially from Russian or Belarusian territory.

On September 22, drone sightings over Copenhagen Airport forced a full shutdown of air traffic. A similar alert was triggered in Oslo after UAVs appeared over a key Norwegian military site.

Defense Express concluded that such tactics may be part of Russia's hybrid warfare strategy, enabling disruption of European air travel at minimal cost.