Drone incursions in Denmark send sales of emergency radios, rice and canned mackerel soaring

Recent drone sightings in Denmark have sparked panic among residents who are flocking to military surplus shops and supermarkets to stock up on supplies as tensions with Russia rise.

Europe, in general, has been troubled with unexplained drone sightings in the past couple of days, with most countries suspecting Russia behind the incursions, although the Kremlin has categorically denied being involved.

Last week, Denmark closed several of its airports after drones were sighted in its airspace, the second such incident reported in the Nordic country that week.

Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said that the drone incursions were done professionally, adding that they looked systematic and hybrid in nature. While the country’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, said that authorities cannot conclude who was behind the drone sightings, he noted that “we can at least conclude that there is primarily one country that poses a threat to Europe’s security – and that is Russia.”

‘Crazy increase in sales’

According to a report by the New York Times, sales at Danish arms and food stores have skyrocketed since last week’s drone sightings.

Valdemar Badsted, a salesperson at Wolf Tactical, a military surplus shop in Copenhagen, said, “We’ve seen a crazy increase in sales. People are getting worried about war.”

Sales of freeze-dried camping food at Wolf Tactical have surged by 400 per cent, according to the store’s owner. Danish media outlets report similar spikes at other retailers, with emergency rations, radios, rice, and canned mackerel flying off the shelves. Meanwhile, the Danish public broadcaster recently published a guide titled, “How to Talk to Your Child About Drones and Hybrid Attacks.”

Police officials in Denmark, Sweden and Norway – the countries that have also witnessed drones in the past few weeks – have been swamped with calls from concerned citizens reporting false alarms that turned out to be small planes, industrial lights or just stars.

What is the EU doing?

European Union leaders are discussing setting up a “drone wall” of defences after high-profile air incursions by Russia.

The first call for the project came last month from EU chief Ursula von der Leyen in the hours after a swarm of Russian drones breached Poland’s airspace.

While details were scant, the initial plan appeared clearly focused on helping to shore up the EU’s eastern frontier from the threat from Moscow.

The EU has said it wants to work with Ukraine, which has developed deep expertise in tackling Russian drones after almost four years of war.

“We are ready to share this experience with our partners,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said.