Unknown drones flew over a military base in Marche-en-Famenne in Belgium on Saturday evening (October 25), according to the country’s Defense Minister. “On Saturday evening, our army detected four or five drones flying over the Marche-en-Famenne military base in Belgium,” stated Theo Francken, adding: “These are not amateurs, but professionals conducting espionage over this base, which is the main base for our ground forces.”
Police were notified of the sightings and launched an investigation in cooperation with the Belgian Federal Intelligence Service (SGRS).
According to the Belgian Defense Minister, this latest intrusion is part of “a hybrid war being waged against Europe, which includes numerous drone attacks. The goal is to destabilize Europe and create panic.”
Belgium: Russian connection possibility not ruled out
The origin of the drones remains unknown, although the possibility of a Russian connection has not been ruled out. Meanwhile, Francken is preparing a report to present to the Council of Ministers next week, requesting enhanced counter-drone capabilities. “This is a real and urgent threat.”
“This was a clearly orchestrated operation against the heart of our army. They were seeking critical information about critical infrastructure,” Francken stated.
At the same time, unmanned aircraft were detected again near the base on Tuesday evening, while investigations are ongoing to determine whether these were the same drones spotted on Saturday night.
Several drones were also detected in early October near Camp Elsenborn in eastern Belgium, located close to the German border.
