Multiple drones spotted over Zeeland port, operators remain unknown
Several drones were spotted in the port area of Terneuzen in Zeeland on Monday evening, Omroep Zeeland reported. The sightings took place over the port area and the Dow chemical plant, locations classified as no-fly zones because of their importance to critical infrastructure.
“We’ve never seen so many drones before,” said Johan Bresseleers, spokesperson for the North Sea Port (NSP). According to a police spokesperson, several members of the public reported the drones. “We check each report to see if we can locate the operator. If we can, we can stop them and determine their intentions,” she told ANP.
Bresseleers told AD that he observed between 12 and 20 drones on Monday evening. Anyone wishing to fly a drone in the area is obligated to register this with the NSP prior to doing so. “When the number of drones exceeds what we’ve registered, it’s safe to say it’s very strange,” the NSP spokesperson added.
The incident comes after earlier drone sightings in the area. The Coast Guard observed multiple drones near Oostkapelle on November 12, 2025, but the operators could not be traced. In recent weeks, unknown drones have also been reported more frequently near military sites in both the Netherlands and Belgium.
The police are investigating the case, but no arrests have been made so far. Residents who spot drones are advised to note their appearance and report it to the police. Information on drone regulations can be found on the Dutch government’s website.
So far, it has not been revealed if authorities suspect the drones were connected to a foreign state. Romania scrambled its own military aircraft at about 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday when a drone flew 8 kilometers into the country’s airspace before falling off radar. The country evacuated two villages near the Ukrainian border on Tuesday after a Russian drone strike set a liquefied natural gas tanker on fire.
Poland also deployed its own air force overnight, and closed two airports in the east of the country for several hours to give the military all available airspace and resources. There was unrest in Poland in September when a swarm of Russian drones entered that countries airspace, prompting the deployment of Dutch F-35s to help protect the NATO ally.
Poland on Wednesday announced plans to deploy 10,000 troops to protect critical infrastructure after an explosion damaged a critical railroad line used to supply Ukraine during its ongoing defense against Russia’s incursion there.
