Danish security agencies have zeroed in on three vessels with suspected Russian ties for their possible involvement in a drone attack that forced the shutdown of Copenhagen Airport for nearly four hours on the night of 22 September.
The drones (three in total) flashed lights on and off as they flew over the capital’s airport, prompting closure. Oslo Airport in Norway also shuttered operations for about three hours after a single drone was reported there. However, Oslo does not see any direct correlation between the two events.
The vessels under investigation include Astrol 1 (IMO 9906544), a coastal freighter flagged in Russia; Pushpa, previously known as Boracay (IMO 9332810), flagged in Malawi but linked to Russia’s shadow fleet; and Oslo Carrier 3 (IMO 9366146), reportedly staffed by a Russian crew.
According to the report, Pushpa has changed names multiple times in recent years. Its Malawi flag is considered dubious since Malawi is landlocked and lacks a genuine open registry, which may raise questions about insurance and ownership transparency.
While none of the three ships were located adjacent to the airport, Astrol 1 displayed erratic routing in the hours leading up to the raid—behaviors viewed as suspicious by authorities.
If authorities attempt to seize or board the vessels, forensic evidence may prove elusive. Launch rails and drone control systems can be easily removed or discarded post-operation. Conversion of smaller logistics ships into covert drone platforms has precedent; Iran, for example, has used small converted vessels to launch drones covertly.
The Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, described the event as Denmark’s most serious attack on critical infrastructure to date, underscoring its political and security gravity. Government agencies including PET (Danish intelligence), the police, and defense forces are coordinating the probe.
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