German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Friday suggested a potential link between recent drone incidents in Belgium and discussions surrounding the use of frozen Russian assets, held by Belgian financial institution Euroclear, to fund a substantial loan to Ukraine.
Drone sightings over airports and military bases have become an ongoing issue in Belgium in recent days, causing significant disruptions across Europe in recent months.
Some officials have attributed these incidents to "hybrid warfare" by Russia, though Moscow has denied any involvement.
Belgium Airports Latest to Spot Drones
Pistorius remarked, "Yes, we all see this (link). The Belgians as well. This is a measure aimed at spreading insecurity, at fearmongering in Belgium: Don’t you dare touch the frozen assets. This cannot be interpreted any other way," during a press conference in Berlin.
The Belgian Ministry of Defence declined to comment on his statement but acknowledged that "the possibility had already been floated in Belgium."
Belgium's Prime Minister, Bart De Wever, has stated that his country would require solid and concrete guarantees before proceeding with a plan to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine in its defence against Russia's invasion.
Belgium's position is critical, as Euroclear, a Belgian financial institution, holds the assets in question.
On Friday, flights at Belgium's Liege airport resumed after a temporary halt due to a drone sighting, marking the second such incident this week.
Drone sightings over Brussels and Liege airports earlier in the week led to the diversion of many incoming flights and the grounding of several outbound planes.
In response, the Belgian government called an emergency meeting of key ministers and security officials on Thursday to discuss what the defence minister described as a coordinated attack.
Drone sightings also prompted temporary airport closures in several countries, including Sweden, on Thursday.
Germany Establishes Rapid Response Teams to Counter Drones
Germany's military is establishing rapid response teams to address urgent drone threats, with these units most recently deployed to assist Belgium. "These anti-drone units are being established right now," Lieutenant General Alexander Sollfrank, head of Germany’s joint operations command, told Reuters.
Germany’s Ministry of Defence announced on Thursday that it was sending counter-drone specialists to Belgium following a request from Brussels.
While Sollfrank refrained from providing specific details about the new counter-drone units, citing operational security, he shared that a team previously dispatched to Copenhagen during an EU summit was equipped with a range of sensors and effectors.
"They have various systems to detect and neutralise drones. For example, we have the capability to take control of a drone and land it at a designated location," the general explained.
The counter-drone experts also have access to drones that can deploy nets to capture and disable hostile drones, as well as interceptors that can ram and neutralise enemy drones, he added.
Sanctions are a long-used tool designed as an alternative to military force and with the objective of changing governments’ behaviour, but they also...
Azerbaijan’s participation in the United States-backed Board of Peace reflects a clear calculation of national interest, according to Chingiz Mammad...
Millions of people in Britain are struggling to afford basic necessities, with a new report warning that the number living in the deepest levels of po...
A clock in a Tel Aviv square that became a rallying point for Israelis demanding the release of hostages taken during the October 2023 Hamas attack wa...
Turkish defence firm Aselsan announced on Monday that it had signed a deal with the NATO alliance, of which Türkiye is a longstanding member, for the...
Sanctions are a long-used tool designed as an alternative to military force and with the objective of changing governments’ behaviour, but they also end up hurting civilian citizens.
Azerbaijan’s participation in the United States-backed Board of Peace reflects a clear calculation of national interest, according to Chingiz Mammadov, Research Alumni of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the Woodrow Wilson International Center.
Turkish defence firm Aselsan announced on Monday that it had signed a deal with the NATO alliance, of which Türkiye is a longstanding member, for the supply of “Identification of Friend or Foe” (IFF) interrogator systems for use with Man-Portable Air Defense Systems, or MANPADS.
Secret negotiations between U.S. officials and the Taliban over remaining American detainees have stalled, after the Taliban publicly tied any further releases to the fate of the last Afghan held at Guantánamo Bay, according to a report by The New York Times published on 26 January 2026.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has activated the state’s National Guard following the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis, an incident that has triggered protests and intensified tensions between state and federal authorities.
Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday the country should not fear pursuing energy ties with the United States, as Caracas seeks to expand oil and gas production and attract foreign investment.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has strongly rejected a U.S. magazine report on the death toll during January unrest. Nationwide protests erupted in response to soaring inflation and a national currency crisis.
A mosaic portrait of Pope Leo XIV was illuminated on Sunday at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, continuing a centuries-old Vatican tradition marking the election of a new pope.
The death toll from nationwide protests in Iran has climbed to 6,126, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
Millions of people in Britain are struggling to afford basic necessities, with a new report warning that the number living in the deepest levels of poverty has reached a 30-year high, driven by soaring housing costs and rising child poverty.
India and the European Union have finalised a long-pending trade deal, both sides said on Tuesday, calling it the “mother of all deals” as they seek to hedge against uncertainty in U.S. trade ties.
The Trump administration has signalled to Ukraine that U.S. security guarantees depend on Kyiv agreeing to a peace deal likely requiring it to cede the Donbas region to Russia, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.
France’s National Assembly has approved a bill banning access to social media for children under 15, a move backed by President Emmanuel Macron and the government as part of efforts to protect teenagers’ mental and physical health.
Russian drones and missiles knocked out power in Kharkiv late Monday, while 23 people were wounded and an energy facility damaged in an overnight attack on Odesa, officials said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment