Dutch military fires at unidentified drones over Volkel air base
Illustrative photo: Unidentified drones continue to pose a threat to Europe (Getty Images)
In the Netherlands, military base security opened fire on unidentified drones attempting to fly over the facility, but none were shot down, Reuters reports.
The defense ministry said that on the evening of November 21, military personnel used small arms against the drones spotted over Volkel air base near the German border. The drones were detected between 7:00 and 9:00 PM local time, after which attempts were made to shoot them down.
"Air force staff used weapons from the ground to take the drones down. The drones left and were not retrieved," the ministry said.
Authorities are investigating what the drones were doing in restricted airspace and how they entered the area. The military police have launched their own investigation into the incident.
Incidents involving unidentified drones over European cities and military facilities are increasing. On the night of November 11–12, an unidentified drone flew over the Mulhouse railway station in France, where a train carrying Leclerc tanks was stationed.
The Wall Street Journal reported that unauthorized drone incidents in Germany surged in 2025, with more than a thousand cases recorded since the start of the year. Officials have not ruled out Russian involvement.
In Belgium, unidentified drones have been observed flying over bases storing nuclear weapons. On November 1 and 4, drones were spotted over Kleine-Brogel air base in Peer. Following these incidents, authorities purchased a large batch of interceptor drones from a Latvian company.
