‘They just shot at a plane’: the text message contradicting the Danish defence command

Fresh evidence uncovered by the Danish broadcaster TV2 has cast doubt on the military’s official timeline of a shooting incident at Borris camp, suggesting soldiers may have mistakenly fired on a passenger plane rather than a drone.

On September 28 2025, military personnel at the Borris shooting range in Vestjylland fired 43 shots at what they believed was an unidentified drone. The incident occurred during a period of heightened drone paranoia following unexplained unmanned aerial vehicle activity over Danish and Norwegian installations.

The official report by the Defence Command concluded that the shooting took place at 8.20pm, approximately 10 minutes after a commercial flight had passed over the camp. At a press conference, the chief of defence, Michael Hyldgaard, and the defence minister, Jeppe Bruus, explicitly denied that a manned aircraft was targeted. Mr Hyldgaard stated: “No shots were fired at a manned aircraft”.

However, excellent investigative reporting by TV2 has revealed significant discrepancies in this timeline. Eyewitnesses in the village of Borris heard gunfire at least 11 minutes before the time stated by the military. Crucially, a text message sent via Messenger by a local resident, Helge Madsen, at 8.09pm reads: “They just shot at a plane over the Borris camp”.

Mr Madsen and his wife reported seeing an object with flashing lights pass over the military area shortly before hearing the shots. Flight radar data confirms that a Widerøe Dash 8-400 passenger plane, flying at 2,800 metres (9,186ft) towards Billund airport, passed directly over the military facility between 8.06pm and 8.07pm. Another witness, Michael Knuhtsen, corroborated this timeline, stating he saw the aircraft at 8.05pm and subsequently called the police at 8.15pm to report gunfire and a suspected drone.

Independent aviation experts have warned of the severe risks of using kinetic weapons against aerial targets, noting that a bullet fired upwards can travel up to five miles and kill upon descent. Frederik Waage, a professor of administrative law at the University of Southern Denmark, noted that TV2’s findings pull the rug out from under the statement from the military, and he reminded the armed forces of their administrative duty of truth to the public.

In response to the TV2 revelations, Mr Bruus has asked the Defence Command to review the new information. The Central and West Jutland police are currently investigating the incident, having collected video and photo material alongside radar data.