Belgian authorities opened an investigation after a second batch of suspected Russian drones was seen flying over the Kleine Brogel Air Base in less than 24 hours.
Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken announced on Saturday that a second drone had been spotted near the base. Other drones had previously been seen in the area on Friday.
Experts speculate that the base houses U.S. nuclear weapons as part of NATO’s nuclear sharing agreement, a treaty that allows certain non-nuclear NATO countries to host U.S. nuclear weapons and help plan the organization’s collective defense strategy. However, that theory has not been officially confirmed.
According to Francken, following the second sighting, a police helicopter tried to chase the drone but was unsuccessful in intercepting it.
The latest sightings occurred during the evening, so officials were unable to identify the type of devices, sources close to the investigation told Reuters.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that Russia could have a connection in what she called the “most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date.”
“I cannot rule out that it is Russia,” Frederiksen told reporters.
“We have seen drones over Poland that should not have been there. We have seen activity in Romania. We have seen violations of Estonian airspace,” she added.
Drone sightings have also been reported near military facilities in Denmark. The country’s Defense Intelligence Service said that Russia is already engaged in “hybrid warfare against NATO and the West,” aimed at testing the countries’ defenses, The New York Times reported.
Likewise, Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany said of the drone sightings: “We suspect that a significant portion of it is probably controlled from Russia.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied responsibility for the drone incidents.
But despite the denials, NATO issued a warning to Russia in September, calling the drone incursions an “incredibly irresponsible” string of violations of its member states’ airspace.
“Allies will not be deterred by these and other irresponsible acts by Russia from their enduring commitments to support Ukraine, whose security contributes to ours, in the exercise of its inherent right to self-defence against Russia’s brutal and unprovoked war of aggression,” NATO said in a statement.