Multiple drones spotted above Netherlands' largest gas facility near Ommen
Several drones were reported flying over the Netherlands’ largest gas distribution site near Ommen late last year, an incident the mayor chose not to make public at the time—a decision that later unsettled some residents, particularly those living near the facility.
On Friday evening, Nov. 21, 2025, multiple residents of Ommen called the emergency number 112 after seeing three drones above Vilsteren, where a heavily secured Gasunie distribution station is located. Police and Veiligheidsregio IJsselland responded, but the drones disappeared into the night and were not intercepted.
During the same period, drones were reported near airports in Eindhoven and Volkel in the Netherlands. Sightings were also reported in Liège, Charleroi, and elsewhere in Belgium.
The Gasunie facility in Vilsteren, near Ommen, is one of the two main gas transport hubs in the Netherlands; the other is located near Ravenstein in Noord-Brabant. Together, the two sites form the country’s largest gas infrastructure complex, through which nearly all natural gas flows.
In Ommen, Mayor Hans Vroomen was informed of the Vilsteren sightings later that evening. De Stentor reported that he chose not to disclose the incident publicly, citing concerns about maintaining calm.
“This is an important place for our country. If a bomb were to fall there, I don’t think my house in Ommen would still be standing,” said Ron de Wit, faction leader of the local party LPO.
Nearby residents expressed similar concerns. “As far as Utrecht, glass would be blown out of windows if this place exploded,” said neighbor Joke van de Crommert, owner of cheese farm De Heileuver. While she said she does not panic easily, others were more visibly worried, the newspaper reported.
“I find it strange that we heard nothing from the authorities,” said a farmer living near the site, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “As a citizen, I have the right to know that strange drones were flying around my home. Yes, this does frighten me. This is a serious place.”
The Vilsteren gas site has been targeted before. In 1972, it was the object of a failed bombing attempt. Gasunie spokesman Michiel Bal declined to say whether the site has been targeted by drones more often or whether security measures have been tightened. “We are reserved about our security,” he said.
Political pressure mounted shortly before Christmas, when the local party Volkspartij Ommen Vooruit raised the issue in an open council meeting. Mayor Vroomen defended the lack of disclosure by pointing to security concerns and police responsibility. His spokesman said, “This is a police matter. In that case, it is not customary for a mayor to also inform the council.”
“That is too easy,” said VOV faction leader Bas van der Velde. “If we had not asked questions, everything would still have been secret.”
“This is about the safety of your residents. If there is a threat, it should not be swept under the table,” Van der Velde said. He added, “We are the highest governing body in Ommen, the extension of society. Then I find it incomprehensible that matters are being withheld.”
CDA council member Erik Veurink said the council should at least have been informed confidentially. “Ultimately, the mayor makes the assessment. But all things considered, we certainly should have been informed,” he said.
D66 faction leader Roosmarijn Wernars described the situation as a difficult balance between transparency and safety. “I am also in favor of openness. But in this case, the mayor and police decided not to fuel fear. They wanted to keep the situation manageable,” she said.
Two months after the incident, police still do not know who was responsible for the drones, according to police spokeswoman Suzan Scholten. She rejected claims that the matter was deliberately kept quiet. “The police do not issue a message about every incident,” she told De Stentor.
