Germany reports over 1,000 unidentified drone incidents — WSJ
Photo: Over a thousand incidents involving unidentified drones have been recorded in Germany (Getty Images)
In 2025, Germany saw a significant increase in cases of unauthorized use of unmanned aerial vehicles. Since the beginning of the year, over 1,000 cases have been recorded, according to The Wall Street Journal.
According to the agency, the German Federal Criminal Police Office has registered over 1,000 such incidents this year.
A representative of the German Interior Ministry specified that the number of incidents reached a small four-digit number, which averages about three cases per day. According to him, reports on the appearance of drones are now published more frequently—once every two weeks instead of quarterly.
These measures are related to the intensification of the fight against espionage. According to German intelligence services, with which the publication was familiarized, both small commercial drones and groups of large unmanned aerial vehicles appear in the sky over the country.
Despite active monitoring, the authorities have not yet been able to identify the persons who launched the drones. Most incidents remain unsolved and are contained in classified reports.
The regularity of drone raids is also noted in Belgium, which is why flight restrictions are constantly being imposed at the kingdom's airports.
Drones paralyzed the operation of European airports
Recently, drones have been spotted repeatedly over the airports of Brussels and Liège, causing significant disruptions to air traffic.
The Chief of the General Staff of the Belgian Army, Frédéric Vancina, ordered soldiers to shoot down suspicious drones, but only to do so safely to avoid collateral damage.
Similar incidents have also been reported in Sweden, where airports have temporarily suspended operations due to the appearance of drones.
In Germany, speculation is already rife about a possible link between the drone activity and discussions about using frozen Russian assets held at the Belgian financial institution Euroclear to finance a loan to Ukraine.
