Claim: Drone and airspace disruptions spotted near Belgium

Question

The UK is sending military personnel and equipment to Belgium after drone sightings caused the closure of two major airports. The UK and Belgium both do not know the source of the drones, but Belgian authorities did ask for military help due to the drone incursions.

Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken said he believed the drones were part of a spy operation, that could not have been done by amateurs. The unidentified drone flights were near a US military base in Belgium where nuclear weapons are stored.  

These drone disruptions have caused issues across Europe for several months, and some countries suspect the drones may have ties to the war in Russia and Ukraine. Belgium's Leige airport resumed operations on Sunday after a 30 minute suspension, and since then authorities across Europe have been on the lookout for drones and increasing border security for what could potentially be "hybrid warfare".

Answer 1

It is true that a drone was spotted in Belgium airspace as several reliable sources like Reuters, CBS, Euro News, BBC, and AP News have all corroborated this claim. The source you linked, Aljazeera, is considered to be a reliable source of news by Ad Fontes Media and of slight left-center bias by Media/Bias Fact Check. According to AP News, multiple sightings of drones were reported by some of the biggest cargo airports in Brussels and Liege, and they had to temporarily shut down, with all this proceeding after a series of drone sightings by a military base where US nuclear weapons were stored. The UK has sent Royal Air Force anti-drone specialists and equipment to help but no specifics have been disclosed. The UK’s Defence Secretary John Healey even specifically mentioned “As hybrid threats grow, our strength lies in our alliances and our collective resolve to defend, deter and protect our critical infrastructure and airspace” as per Euro News. The assistance the UK is providing Belgium sets a precedent among NATO allies in a constantly evolving warfare landscape. So in short, yes, the claim that a drone was spotted in Belgium airspace is true.