On Sunday evening, five drones were observed flying over the Doel nuclear power plant, located near the Port of Antwerp, as reported by the energy company Engie. The sightings have raised alarms regarding security at critical infrastructure sites.
Engie spokesperson Hellen Smeets elaborated on the situation, stating, “Initially we had detected three drones, but then we saw five drones. They were up in the air for about an hour.” This incident was first reported shortly before 10 p.m., and despite the unusual activity, Smeets assured that the operations of the power plant were unaffected.
Ongoing concerns about drone activity
The Belgian national Crisis Center is currently monitoring the situation and has confirmed the drone sightings. Earlier that evening, Liège Airport briefly suspended air traffic due to multiple drone reports, halting flights around 7:30 p.m. before operations resumed less than an hour later.
This latest incident is part of a worrying trend of increased drone activity that has been disrupting key infrastructure across Belgium. In the previous week, airports in Brussels and Liège experienced repeated interruptions, and drones were also detected over military bases and the Port of Antwerp.
Government response and security implications
In response to the escalating concerns, Belgium’s National Security Council convened on Thursday. Following the meeting, Interior Minister Bernard Quintin assured that authorities have the situation “under control.” However, the government has refrained from assigning blame, although local media reports suggest that Belgium’s intelligence services suspect foreign involvement, with Moscow being viewed as a plausible source. Defense Minister Theo Francken emphasized this perspective, stating, “Russia is clearly a plausible suspect.”
In a coordinated effort to address these threats, the United Kingdom announced on Sunday that it will collaborate with France and Germany to send personnel and equipment to assist Belgium in countering drone incursions around sensitive sites.