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.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned to the South American nation almost a year after she secretly left the countr...
Uzbekistan summoned Iran’s ambassador following claims by several Iranian diplomatic missions that the historical and architectural heri...
Kazakhstan marks Republic Day on 25 October with an ambitious economic agenda and a growing partnership with Azerbaijan, as the two Caspian neighbo...
Around 11,000 people joined a demonstration in Orléans on Saturday against the National Rally congress, according to the local prefecture.
Typhoon Champi swept past Taiwan on Saturday, leaving one person dead and more than 500 injured as strong winds and torrential rain brought down trees, cut power and disrupted transport across the island.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday described a deadly shooting in the towns of Trappes and La Verrière, west of Paris, as a racist attack and ‘a turning point’ for the country.
Israeli forces have maintained a tight closure on Hebron in the occupied West Bank for a second day, with Palestinian media reporting home raids, mass detentions and dozens of residents forced outside following a shooting incident the day before.
German police have detained a suspect after a major fire broke out at the historic Kehlsteinhaus, known as the “Eagle’s Nest”, a mountain retreat once used by senior Nazi officials, including Adolf Hitler.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned to the South American nation almost a year after she secretly left the country to travel to Norway for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.
Riot police fired tear gas at protesters in France’s largest cities and more than 1,300 people were arrested during demonstrations against the rising cost of living on Saturday (24 October). Police also used a water cannon on a group of around 500 hooded youths in Paris, after the main rally ended.
Ukraine's military has been hit this month by restrictions on Starshield, the military version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite communications system. Its receivers stopped functioning when mounted on fast-moving objects such as drones, jeopardising some combat and air defence missions.
At least five people were killed and several others injured in overnight attacks across Russia and Ukraine on Sunday, 25 October, as officials reported strikes on residential areas and industrial facilities, while Moscow claimed to have targeted logistics infrastructure and a cargo vessel.
Protests against war and rising living costs took place in major Italian cities on Saturday, with some incidents of violence and clashes, a week after unrest erupted across the country.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment