Brussels flights halted after suspected drone sightings

Flights were suspended at the main airport in Belgium's capital after suspected drone sightings, a Brussels Airport spokesman said.

"There are no flights departing or arriving due to suspected drones," the spokesman said.

Air traffic was also halted as a precaution at the second-largest airport Charleroi, operators there said.

No details were given regarding the estimated duration of the disruptions.

Skeyes, the company responsible for air traffic control in Belgium, did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.

The interruptions come after a recent spate of mysterious drone incidents targeting airports and sensitive military locations in several European countries, including Germany and Denmark.

Over the weekend, Belgian authorities reported drone activity over the Kleine-Brogel military base, where a number of US nuclear weapons are believed to be stored.

Belgian military intelligence said it was conducting an investigation into the sightings.

Defence Minister Theo Francken yesterday refused to point the finger at Russia, but said that it appeared to be a coordinated operation carried out by "professionals".

"They are trying to sow panic in Belgium," Mr Francken told local media.

"This is destabilisation."

Suspicions have swirled over potential Russian involvement in increased drone activity across Europe, with tension high as the war in Ukraine drags through its fourth year.