Belgian media outlet VRT NWS reported that the incident occurred at around 1:45 a.m. local time on Friday, 3 October. Police in Düren, western Germany, also observed the drones as they entered their airspace.
The origin and operators of the drones remain unknown. The Belgian Ministry of Defence has opened an investigation, examining possible links to foreign powers, including Russia.
Defence expert Jens Franssen told Belgian public broadcaster VRT NWS that while Elsenborn itself holds little strategic value, the nearby Kleine-Brogel airbase, which stores U.S. nuclear weapons, could have been a more likely target.
Franssen stressed the importance of systems capable of detecting, tracking, and identifying small drones, noting that a Belgian test aircraft was in the area at the time to monitor the situation.
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Source: IAR/VRT NWS/X/@a_libotte