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The unsettling thought on the mind of many who have spotted them above is: why?

Vegard Rabban had little doubt about what he was seeing when an unusual crimson glow materialized between his residence and outbuilding on the western coastline of Norway one chilly evening in September's final days.

The parent of three children, a fisheries worker and firefighter, had recently transported his adolescent boy home from athletic practice when they came to an abrupt halt by an aerial phenomenon in the clear Norwegian sky.

"In the space separating the structures I spot an unusual illumination that isn't usually present. Me and my boy immediately recognize it's a flying device," he stated. "We stand for two minutes and watch and we observe the scarlet beacons. It was apparent to me it was quite large. Maybe 1.5 metres wide."

As someone familiar with unmanned aircraft, he knew perfectly well of the regulations near his property close to a local airfield, a key base for the international defense organization and Norway's aerial defense.

Growing Concerns

It was uncommon to observe an unmanned aircraft flying at night. However, only when the following day, when he learned of the aerial intrusions at Norwegian airports, that he started to think more about it.

The young boys were worried. He attempted to reassure them. "Currently, we are removed from the conflict that's occurring but I suspect someone is watching us and seeking to understand how we behave to drones," he said.

Rabban says he doesn't feel frightened yet, but the sightings have already generated various emotional consequences on Norwegians. He suspects the circumstances in the European continent could intensify quickly. "As more people see the flying devices, growing numbers question what's occurring. They're interested."

Widespread Incidents

Since three drones were shot down in Poland's territorial airspace in recent weeks, reports concerning unmanned aerial vehicles have spread across the European continent, encompassing events that have closed major airports.

The Danish prime minister addressed the nation after the closure of the capital's airfield. "We're at the start of a hybrid war against the European continent," she stated.

An intrusion over the German airfield on Thursday forced air traffic control to halt activities, resulting in the termination of 17 flights and disrupting travel for nearly 3,000 passengers.

Historical Parallels

The intrusions in Scandinavia display an informative historical context, commented a senior lecturer in the department of psychological medicine.

"There's a common saying that history doesn't repeat itself, but it shows patterns – and what we are currently seeing over the Nordic countries is the rhyming of history," he stated. "Historical records show of unidentified object concerns over these territories where the source was suspected to be either the eastern neighbor or the historical superpower."

During the 1930s it was "ghost planes" that generated fear, believed to be hostile Soviet aircraft on surveillance operations as preceding a military attack.

"Numerous such accounts align with recognized cosmic phenomena like the planet Venus appearing," explained the expert. "No flying machine of the time could have continued flying for the periods that witnesses reported. Moving ahead to 1946 and Scandinavian nations were panicking over widespread observations of 'ghost rockets'."

Mental Health Consequences

Additionally, there exists a psychological impact that is insufficiently acknowledged, stated an academic expert focusing on unmanned aircraft impacts.

"I think the intrusions are a tactic to intimidate and to agitate," she explained. "Therefore flying devices typically work in this grey zone where they demonstrate their existence, their abilities, they demonstrate that you're vulnerable, but they don't kind of yet tip into complete military action that we're observing in the current warfare."

A different researcher participating in the study explained that since aircraft were utilized in conflict, an important result was to "turn peaceful skies into an ongoing security concern."

Present Circumstances

The unmanned aircraft observations of 2025 cannot be said a figment of anyone's imagination but they're occurring amid a convergence of geopolitical tensions driven by foreign provocation and worries over the instability of longtime Nato ally the US.

"Unexpectedly, many European countries including smaller countries are feeling more vulnerable than they've experienced recently," he noted.

"Given these circumstances, what we're observing is a collective anxiety attack where the sky has become a cultural measure of the current era, caused by imperfections in visual interpretation and fear."

As fall approaches and daylight hours decrease, which means increased nighttime which must be considered as it contributes to the ambiguity of these events.

"It's probably harmful for individuals suffering from anxiety," concluded the expert.