Belgium holds emergency security council meeting to address drone sightings – Europe live

8.49am GMT Morning opening: Belgium to discuss response to drones The Belgian government will hold an emergency meeting of the national security council this morning to discuss the recent drone sightings that disrupted the operations at Brussels airport and caused concern after flying over military bases in the country. As our Brussels correspondent Jennifer Rankin says in our top story, the Belgian government has not said who it thinks is responsible for the drones, but a source told the Belga news agency that the security services had “little doubt” that a state actor was behind recent sightings, “very probably Russia”. The point was reported to have been made at a meeting to prepare Thursday’s national security council, reported Le Soir. Related: Belgium to hold security meeting after drone sightings at airports and military bases In a sign of just how seriously this is being treated, Belgian defence minister Theo Francken spoke with Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte last night, updating him on what the authorities know about the incident. “Allies are providing welcome support to address the challenge,” Nato spokesperson said in a statement after their conversation. The Belgian prime minister, Bart de Wever, faces a really busy day ahead: after attending the security council meeting, he is also expected to meet King Philippe for a chat amid a prolonged crisis about the country’s budget. One to watch. Separately, we will keep an eye on the European statements at the COP30 summit in Brazil, Rutte’s time in Romania, and the French public audit office’s report on Louvre museum, which – going by the first reports in the French media – will be scatching. Lots for us to cover. It’s Thursday, 6 November 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live. Good morning.