The Dutch Ministry of Defense detected several unidentified drones over Volkel Air Base on the evening of 21 November, according to a statement by the department reported by European Pravda.
The ministry took action Friday evening when multiple drones were spotted over the air base between 7:00 PM and 9:00 pm. Air Force personnel deployed ground-based weapons to shoot them down. The drones disappeared and were not located afterward.
Following the incident, both the Royal Netherlands Security Service and police were notified and are now conducting further investigations.
The defense ministry stated that the purpose of the drone flights over and around the air bases remains unclear.
"For security reasons, the Ministry of Defense does not provide additional information about how the drones were detected and what measures were taken," according to the statement.
The department noted that drone use near airports is prohibited due to flight safety risks. "At military bases and facilities, operational security is also a concern," the ministry reminded.
Reports of suspicious drones disrupting airport operations have become increasingly frequent across European countries in recent months. On 15 November, a drone flew near Vilnius Airport, and its owner was detained. On the morning of 7 November, the airport in the Belgian city of Liège suspended operations due to an unknown drone.
