Three drones were spotted over the Doel nuclear power plant in Belgium, located near Antwerp. This was reported on Sunday evening, November 9, by a spokesman for the energy company Engie, the NPP operator, UNN reports with reference to DW.
Details
He clarified that the incident did not affect the operation of the power plant. The authorities were informed about it.
According to the Belgian news agency Belga, earlier, on the evening of November 6, the operation of Brussels Airport and Bierset Airport, located near Liege, was disrupted due to drones spotted nearby.
On November 4, Belga agency reported that local residents spotted at least six UAVs near the NATO airbase Kleine-Brogel in northeastern Belgium. On the evening of that day, air traffic at Brussels Airport was suspended twice due to reports of drones. According to Belga agency, restrictions were also introduced at Liege Airport.
Similar incidents have been repeatedly recorded in Belgium in recent weeks. At the end of October, drones were spotted twice over a military base in Marche-en-Famenne, south of Liege. The head of the country's Ministry of Defense, Theo Francken, then stated about a "clearly planned operation against the heart of the Belgian army" and the work of experienced UAV pilots.
In early October, 15 drones were spotted over a military training ground in Elsenborn, eastern Belgium.
Unknown drones have been spotted for a long time near military facilities and airports in a number of European countries, including Germany, Denmark, and Norway. In connection with these incidents, airports temporarily stopped receiving and sending flights. The authorities have not yet established who is behind the launch of the UAVs, but suspect the Russian side.
On November 9, the Chief of the Defense Staff of the Armed Forces of Great Britain, Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton, announced that London was sending experts and equipment to Belgium to help combat the invasion of UAVs into its airspace.
Last week, the German Ministry of Defense also reported that at the request of Belgium, the Bundeswehr is providing assistance to this country in protecting against drones.