Day: September 25, 2025

• Denmark said drones were spotted near an airbase for F-16s and F-35s as part of a professional “hybrid attack.”
• Drones were also seen at airports, leading to their temporary closure.
• The incidents, which were not blamed on a specific actor, follow repeated Russian violations of NATO airspace this month.

Amid what it described as a “hybrid attack,” NATO ally Denmark said drones were spotted near an airbase housing F-16 and F-35 fighter jets. Drones also disrupted airports across the country.

Danish officials reported drone sightings near multiple airports Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, with the military saying it saw drones at “several military installations.”

Among those bases was the Skrydstrup airbase, which houses Denmark’s fourth-generation F-16s and fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighters, the latter being among the most advanced combat airpower available in the NATO arsenal.

Drones led to the shutdown of Denmark’s Aalborg Airport, used for both commercial and military flights, for three hours. Billund Airport was down for an hour. Drones were also seen near the Esbjerg and Sonderborg airports. The incident came days after drones interrupted operations at Copenhagen airport.

Denmark blamed no specific actor, but it did characterize it as a deliberate kind of attack. Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said that “everything points to this being the work of a professional actor” and said “this is what I would define as a hybrid attack using different types of drones.” He said there was no immediate evidence that Russia was responsible. Police are investigating further.

Peter Hummelgaard, Denmark’s justice minister, said the motivation behind the recent attacks is “to create fear” and create division, saying no options are being ruled out for who is responsible.

NATO’s already on edge

The drone incidents in Denmark come at a time when NATO is already on edge due to recent Russian incursions, both with drones and fighter aircraft. Officials and experts suspect Russia is engaging in a shadow war, testing alliance defenses and responses.

Russian drones violated NATO ally Poland’s airspace earlier this month and were shot down by NATO jets, temporarily stopping an airport’s operations. Russia said the drones were not there intentionally, saying they veered off course, but Poland’s defense minister categorically rejected the claim and instead described it as a deliberate targeting of its sovereign airspace.

And then last week, Estonia reported that three Russian MiG-31 interceptor aircraft violated its airspace, staying for 12 minutes. Moscow said it never entered Estonian airspace.

And then Denmark’s Copenhagen airport closed on Monday due to drones. Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said she could not rule out Russia being responsible for that, calling it “the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date.”

She said motives could be “to disrupt and create unrest, to cause concern, to see how far you can go and test the limits.” Russia called it a “staged provocation” and denied any involvement.

Defenses and responses

Recent events have sparked new concerns across NATO about how to defend airspaces from new and old threats, a concern already weighing heavily on the alliance from watching how Russia is fighting in Ukraine.

That war, in which Russia has launched huge drone and missile barrages into Ukraine, has shown NATO that it needs significantly more ground-based air defenses, something that has not been prioritized since the end of the Cold War.

The conflict, among other incidents, has also shown a need for strong, appropriate defenses against the threat of drones, which can be obtained cheaply and employed for reconnaissance and strike purposes against high-value targets. The low price point makes using expensive air-to-air missiles problematic, and some inexpensive electronic warfare solutions can’t be effectively employed in civilian areas, a challenge with certain kinetic options as well.

Michael Hyldgaard, Denmark’s chief of defence, said the drones seen on Wednesday and Thursday were not shot down to keep the population safe. Poulsen also said that the military is able to shoot down the drones, but added there isn’t a direct military threat against Denmark that requires doing so.

Recent events have, however, sparked new discussions about shooting down perceived threats within NATO airspace.

Lithuania’s parliament passed a law that authorized its armed forces to shoot down any drones that unlawfully enter its airspace, regardless of whether they directly pose a threat. Poland’s prime minister said that his country would shoot down a threatening aerial object that violates its airspace. And NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said alliance members could target any Russian combat aircraft that enter NATO airspace.

Others, like Sweden, have also issued warnings. A key challenge for NATO, though, is showing strength without risking possibly unnecessary escalation. Hybrid attacks, or gray zone aggression, only complicate things further.

Many countries say they are constantly fighting Russian hybrid threats, like cyber attacks, assassination attempts, interference in democracy, and signal jamming — real threats that are not traditionally met with a hard power response.

Amid debates on how to properly respond to these challenges, the frequency of incidents has been on the rise. Hummelgaard, while not pointing at Russia for the recent incident, said the hybrid threats Denmark is seeing are “here to stay,” saying there have been “deeply worrying incidents across Europe.”

• In April 2022, I cruised on a Royal Caribbean ship packed with kids and didn’t enjoy it.
• A year later, I took a luxury, adults-only Virgin Voyages cruise and had a far better experience.
• I learned that when booking a cruise, finding a ship that matches your needs is important.

Cruising is more than a vacation — it’s a lifestyle.

During my first cruise on board Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas in 2022, several passengers told me that every vacation they take is a cruise. It was easy for me to see why. There was something special about waking up in the middle of the ocean.

But sleepless nights, crowded communal decks, and raucous kids made me think cruising simply wasn’t for me.

My annoyances would have been enough to write off the vacation style until I learned about adults-only cruises.

A year later, I embarked on a seven-day, adults-only Mediterranean cruise on board Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady ship.

I hoped that an upscale ship free of children and with more activities geared toward adults would change my mind, and it did.

My first cruise was aboard Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas — one of the largest ships of its kind.

The first difference I noticed between my two voyages was the size of each ship.

Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas was the world’s largest cruise ship back in 2022. At 1,200 feet long and 210 feet tall, the 235,600-gross-ton ship has eight “neighborhoods,” 18 decks, and can hold up to 7,000 passengers.

The ship felt overcrowded, and I got lost navigating its many decks.

On my Royal Caribbean cruise, I learned from the crew that there were roughly 5,000 people on board. Although the ship wasn’t at capacity, it certainly felt like it to me.

Finding an empty chair near one of the three large pools was nearly impossible after 10 a.m., and even though the ship had 24 elevators, there was often a line to take them.

In fact, there was a line to do pretty much everything, from activities to the breakfast buffet. Shows required reservations, which quickly filled up.

The size of the ship was daunting, too. Getting around felt like wandering a maze. By the time I got used to the sprawling layout, the cruise was over.

Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady ship was smaller.

On my Virgin Voyages cruise, the Valiant Lady ship’s smaller size felt more manageable. At 125 feet tall and 910 feet long, the 110,000 gross-ton ship had 17 decks with a maximum capacity of 2,700, although there were only about 1,000 on board during my voyage, representatives from the cruise line told Business Insider.

Although there was less to do on board, I preferred the smaller ship because it was less crowded and easier to navigate.

The intimate ship size meant fewer activities, but I didn’t mind since navigating the decks was easier. There were only two pools, but they were far less crowded, and I had an easier time finding empty pool chairs throughout the day.

While I could make reservations for meals and shows on the Valiant Lady, I quickly realized I didn’t need to. The restaurants often had empty tables, and I could wander into any venue when I heard interesting live tunes. This made my days feel more spontaneous, and the whole trip felt more relaxing since I wasn’t rushing around.

The communal decks on the Wonder of the Seas felt hectic with kids running around.

Children bumped into me while running to the pool, I stepped in ice cream they dropped on the deck, and screaming filled my ears when I tried to relax on the top decks. Altogether, it made my vacation feel less relaxing than it could have been.

Without kids on board, the upper decks of the Valiant Lady felt more relaxing.

Virgin Voyages cruises are limited to guests 18 and up.

As a result, I experienced quiet pool decks and relaxing dinners. The whole ship felt calmer and less crowded.

The numerous pools, activities, and shows on the Wonder of the Seas made the ship seem geared toward families.

While there was an adults-only area, splash pools, water slides, and zip lines filled the upper decks of Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas. This made the ship ideal for families with thrill-seeking kids — but I don’t like thrills.

I felt cringey sharing activities with children.

Every time I got in line to do an activity, I felt awkward as a solo adult traveler standing among children. It made me hyper-aware of my age.

With an adults-only crowd, the activities on board the Valiant Lady made me feel like a kid again.

Since I was only with fellow adults on the Virgin Voyages cruise, I wondered if that might create a stuffy environment. But the ship’s child-like seesaws and swings, kickboxing bags, and games like foosball, basketball, and a gigantic chessboard made me feel young again.

I loved having the chance to relax and unwind playfully, and sitting on a swing with an ocean view was way more fun than standing in line for a 30-second waterslide ride.

I struggled to sleep during my Royal Caribbean cruise.

On my first cruise, I hardly slept. Getting used to the sway of the ship was challenging enough as I closed my eyes at night. But the added discomfort of my bed — two twin mattresses pushed together — made it even harder. And when I did get some shut-eye, I woke up in the crevice between the beds.

The comforts of a luxury cruise ship made sleeping through the night easier.

On the Virgin Voyages ship, I had one queen-sized bed, which was much more comfortable than the two mattresses in my Royal Caribbean cabin.

Other comforting details made my Virgin Voyages cabin feel fit for a VIP, including mood lighting, a tablet with smart controls, and a private balcony where I could get some air when I felt seasick.

These details made my stay cozy and restful. Getting enough sleep made it easier for me to appreciate the whole trip more than my first cruise.

With two cruises under my belt, I can see now that not all voyages are the same.

To enjoy the cruising lifestyle for yourself, it takes finding a ship that matches your desires as a traveler.

I’m glad I didn’t completely write off cruises. Going forward, you just might find me on one, so long as it’s a smaller ship and, ideally, for adults only.