Minister Francken told the defence committee that a judicial investigation into the Elsenborn drones is under way and that the military intelligence service ADIV has been appointed to help conduct it; because of the ongoing proceedings the ministry gives no details.
Belgium / Germany / 2025-10-03-be-1
airspace incident: Elsenborn military training camp, East Cantons, on the German border (2025-10-03)
/ date of the event
What happened
At about 1.45am on 3 October 2025 police from Düren in Germany observed drones that had flown over the Belgian training camp at Elsenborn in the East Cantons and entered German airspace; according to VRT there were 15 of them and a Belgian test aircraft stationed at the camp also detected all of them. The German authorities passed the information to the Belgian defence ministry. Defence minister Theo Francken confirmed that several drones had been detected by police on both the Belgian and the German side and announced an investigation into what happened, what the aim was and why the drones were there; a ministry spokesperson called it the first such incident they were aware of. The mayor of Bütgenbach, Daniel Franzen, said one drone had been used to search for a lost horse; Francken rejected that explanation. Asked about Russia, the minister said it was possible but that there were no concrete indications. The exact number of drones, their operator and their origin have not been established.
Responsibility and limits of the evidence
not assessed
Nobody has yet assessed responsibility for this record. Not assessed is not the same as not established.
Impact
- killed
- not established
- injured
- not established
- damage
- not established
No casualties reported.
Source discrepancy
VRT (citing the Düren police and a Belgian test aircraft): 15 drones. Francken to RTBF: several drones, exact number undetermined. Recorded as a maximum of 15, with no minimum.
What happened next
VRT's Pano programme: half a year after the drone wave over Belgium there is no evidence of hostile drones; two police officers from Bütgenbach confirmed seeing the drones over Elsenborn with their own eyes. The federal prosecutor is running 26 investigations into about 40 incidents and considers it too early to conclude anything about origin.
Sources
- Belgium investigates flight of drones over military base
Reuters via Yahoo News / 2025-10-03 / secondary source
supports: the record, that it happened
- Quinze drones aperçus au-dessus du terrain militaire d'Elsenborn, la Défense enquête sur l'incident
VRT NWS / 2025-10-03 / secondary source
supports: the record, the date, the location, that it happened
- Vijftien drones waargenomen boven militair terrein Elsenborn: "Erg bizar incident"
VRT NWS / 2025-10-03 / secondary source
supports: the record, the date, the attribution
- Des drones survolent le camp militaire d'Elsenborn : la Défense enquête, le bourgmestre évoque la recherche d'un cheval
RTBF / 2025-10-03 / secondary source
supports: the record, that it happened
- Gerechtelijk onderzoek naar drones boven Elsenborn, militaire inlichtingendienst ADIV aangesteld als onderzoeker
VRT NWS / 2025-10-22 / secondary source
supports: the record
- Hoe groot was de dreiging en waarom wees Defensie naar Rusland? Pano vindt geen bewijs van vijandige drones boven België
VRT NWS / 2026-04-13 / secondary source
supports: the record, the attribution