Three unidentified drones were detected flying over Belgium’s Doel nuclear power plant on Sunday, Nov. 9.
According to Deutsche Welle, the incident occurred near the city of Antwerp, where the Doel plant is located. A spokesperson for Engie, the company operating the facility, confirmed the sightings late Sunday evening.
The incident had no impact on the operation of the power plant, and authorities have been informed, the Engie representative said.
Local law enforcement and security services are investigating the circumstances of the drone activity.
Last week Kyiv Post reported that the Belgian military has been ordered to shoot down any unidentified drones flying over its military bases after three consecutive nights of airspace violations, Chief of Defense Frederik Vansina said Monday.
The drones, described as “larger-type” aircraft flying at high altitudes, repeatedly breached restricted airspace over the Kleine-Brogel air base – one of Europe’s most sensitive military sites that hosts US-made nuclear-capable F-16s and is set to receive F-35s from 2027.
The incidents have added pressure on Belgium’s fragile five-party coalition government, which is already locked in tense budget talks, including over defense spending.
Defense Minister Theo Francken earlier called the repeated flights “a clear mission targeting Kleine-Brogel,” suggesting the drones were used for espionage rather than accidental overflights.
“They come to spy, to see where the F-16s are, where the ammunition is, and other highly strategic information,” he told local media.