Mass drone flights spotted over German strategic sites
Photo: Massive drone flights over strategic sites spotted in Germany (Getty Images)
On the night of September 26, the state of Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany recorded suspicious drone flights over strategic facilities, reports Bild.
Several drones flew over the shipyard in Kiel, and were then spotted over the university clinic, a power plant, as well as near the local parliament building, and even an oil refinery that supplies fuel to Hamburg Airport.
According to internal documents, the drones moved “on parallel courses,” which may indicate an attempt to conduct reconnaissance. Similar incidents occurred in the neighboring state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Who is behind the flights remains unclear. But experts note similarities with a series of recent incidents in Denmark, where drones temporarily shut down airports. There, authorities do not rule out a Russian trace.
Against this backdrop, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt declared “an increased threat to Germany’s security” and announced the creation of a counter-drone center. The Bundestag is also preparing a law that would allow the army to shoot down suspicious drones outside military facilities.
Flights of unknown drones
In the past two weeks, numerous flights of unknown drones have been recorded in Poland and the northern countries of Europe over military and infrastructure facilities.
On September 27, drones were observed in the area of the Ørland Air Base in Norway. A large number of F-35 fighter jets are stationed at this base, and NATO exercises have recently been taking place there.
That same day, drones were spotted for the second time in Denmark, in particular over the airports in Aalborg, Esbjerg, Sønderborg, and in the area of the Skrydstrup Air Base.
Also, on September 29, a drone flight was noticed over the Equinor gas field in the North Sea.
