ASTROL-1

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Three ships under suspicion of drone attack on Copenhagen airport

The 'Astrol 1' is among three vessels which were suspected of launching large drones that shut down Copenhagen Airport, forcing 150 flights to be cancelled or diverted, on the night of Sep 22, 2025. The investigation into the unprecedented drone assault on Copenhagen Airport has identified three suspicious vessels that were positioned in strategic locations during the incident that paralyzed one of Northern Europe’s busiest aviation hubs. The sanctioned ' Astrol 1' sailed through the Øresund Strait at that time and made several irregular maneuvers. The vessel’s unusual behaviour during the precise timeframe of the drone attacks has placed it at the center of the international investigation. The ship’s movements through the waterway coincided with the appearance of multiple large drones over the Kastrup Airport, suggesting potential coordination between maritime and aerial operations. The tanker 'Pushpa' (IMO: 9332810), sailing under the flag of Benin and sanctioned for transporting Russian oil, was another vessel considered suspicious by investigators. The ship was monitored for four hours by a German NATO warship, indicating the serious security concerns surrounding its presence during the drone incident. The Norwegian cargo m/v 'Oslo Carrier 3' (IMO: 9366146) was positioned seven kilometers from Kastrup Airport while the drones were being pursued by authorities. Several Russian-speaking crew members were among the ship’s crew, and the vessel’s owner maintains offices in Kaliningrad, Russia. The ship’s proximity to the airport during the active drone pursuit, combined with its Russian connections, has made it a key focus of the expanding international investigation. The drone attack on Copenhagen Airport resulted in approximately 150 flights being cancelled or diverted, representing one of the most significant aviation security incidents in Scandinavian history. The scale of the disruption underscores the effectiveness of the coordinated assault on critical infrastructure. Kastrup Airport, which handles nearly 30 million passengers annually, was forced into complete shutdown mode as authorities responded to multiple large drones operating in controlled airspace around the facility. France has also reported the appearance of unknown drones near a military base – no official conclusions about direct involvement have yet been made. Also on the night of September 24–25, Aalborg Airport in Denmark was temporarily closed due to the drone threat. In the past few days, also the landing ship “Alexander Shabalin” was observed near Denmark’s territorial waters, l between the southern tip of Langeland and Lolland, suggesting that the ship could have served as a base for supplying drones. The amphibious ship, designed to carry about 340 soldiers and ten tanks, remained untracked due to the AIS being off. The “Alexander Shabalin,” belongs to the Russian Baltic Fleet. The police took into account the presence of the 'Alexander Shabalin' near Danish territorial waters when investigating the incidents with drones.