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The unsettling thought occupying the thoughts of many who have observed them above is: what's behind them?

Vegard Rabban was quite certain about what he was seeing when an unusual crimson glow materialized between his home and carport on the western coastline of Norway one frosty night in the end of September.

The father-of-three, a fishing professional and firefighter, was returning with his adolescent boy home from football practice when they came to an abrupt halt by something above in Norway's transparent atmosphere.

"Between the garage and the house I notice an unusual illumination that is not normally there. My son and I instantly identify it's a drone," he explained. "We remain stationary briefly and look and we observe the scarlet beacons. I was able to discern it was substantial in size. Approximately five feet across."

Being an experienced drone operator, he was well aware of the limitations near his home close to a regional airport, a key base for Nato and the Norwegian air force.

Increasing Worries

It was rare to observe an unmanned aircraft operating after dark. But it was not until the subsequent morning, when he discovered reports about the unauthorized drone flights at airfields in Norway, that he started reflecting about it.

The young boys were worried. He sought to provide context. "As it stands now, we are far away from the war that's happening but I suspect we're being observed and attempting to gauge how we respond to drones," he stated.

The witness states he is not personally afraid yet, but the observations have already had certain mental impacts on the Norwegian population. He believes the developments in the region could intensify quickly. "With increasing sightings the flying devices, growing numbers question what's occurring. They are curious."

Broad Distribution

Following several flying devices were eliminated in Polish airspace in recent weeks, reports concerning drones have spread across the European continent, including those that have halted operations at significant aviation facilities.

Denmark's leader made a national statement following the shutdown of Copenhagen airport. "We are at the beginning of a hybrid war against our region," she stated.

An incursion over the German airfield recently compelled flight regulators to cease functions, causing the cancellation of 17 flights and affecting journeys for nearly 3,000 passengers.

Past Precedents

The violations in Northern Europe display relevant past precedents, said a senior lecturer in the study of psychological impacts.

"There's a common saying that history doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes – and what we're now observing over Scandinavia is historical patterns repeating," he stated. "Historical records show of UFO scares over these areas where the source was suspected to be either the Russian Federation or the historical superpower."

In the nineteen-thirties it was "phantom aircraft" that caused panic, thought to be Russian reconnaissance planes on reconnaissance missions as preceding an invasion.

"Numerous such accounts correspond with familiar celestial bodies like the planet Venus appearing," said the researcher. "No airplane of the time could have continued flying for the timeframes that witnesses reported. Fast forward to the post-war period and Scandinavian nations were panicking over widespread observations of 'mysterious projectiles'."

Mental Health Consequences

There is also a psychological impact that is insufficiently acknowledged, explained a research lead focusing on drone technology and culture.

"In my opinion the violations are a tactic to intimidate and to challenge," she said. "So drones typically work in this ambiguous area where they demonstrate their existence, their technological features, they demonstrate that you're vulnerable, but they don't kind of yet tip into total armed conflict that we're observing in the current warfare."

An additional academic involved in the research said that since man used flight in combat, one of the consequences was to "turn peaceful skies into an ongoing security concern."

Present Circumstances

The flying device reports of this period should not be considered a figment of anyone's imagination but they're occurring amid an ideal combination of global pressures stoked by foreign provocation and anxieties over the instability of longtime Nato ally the United States.

"Suddenly, many European countries like Denmark are perceiving greater threats than they have in recent memory," he said.

"In this environment, what we're observing is a widespread fear response where the sky has become a social barometer of the current era, fueled by the fallibility of human perception and anxiety."

It's almost autumn and the days are getting shorter, which indicates increased nighttime which cannot be overlooked as it increases the uncertainty of the situation.

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