Multiple drones noticed over Nuclear Power Plant in Germany, Russia suspected
Illustrative photo: Russian Orlans may have flown over nuclear power plants in Germany (Russian media)
Drones were detected flying over an industrial area in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. They may have been launched by Russian agents, Bild reports.
According to the news agency, drones flew over an industrial area, which includes a nuclear power plant, a liquefied natural gas terminal, and chemical plants, at high speed.
The last sighting of drones in the area was on August 22. In response, some police officers in Schleswig-Holstein have been put on high alert.
Additionally, according to Bild, one drone flew over the decommissioned nuclear power plant on August 20, traveling at a speed of over 100 kilometers per hour.
The source clarifies that an internal police report mentions several violations of the no-fly zone. It is suspected that a military drone was used for this purpose.
Senior prosecutor Bernd Winterfeld mentioned to Bild that the Flensburg prosecutor's office has confirmed the opening of a preliminary case on suspicion of espionage with the intent to sabotage, following repeated drone flights over critical infrastructure in Schleswig-Holstein.
Journalists discovered that drone flights over the industrial site have been recorded since August 8. The preliminary theory is that Russian agents may be launching them from ships in the North Sea.
As reported by Bild, Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) suspects that these are Russian Orlan-10 drones, which are actively used by Russian troops in the war against Ukraine. They are employed for sabotage purposes.
It is worth noting that the Orlan-10 has a range of 500 to 600 km and can also fly at speeds exceeding 100 kilometers per hour.
What preceded
In January of this year, Bild reported that drones have been regularly flying over training grounds in Germany where Ukrainian defenders are being trained.
At that time, Marcus Faber, a Bundestag member from the Free Democratic Party and a member of the defense committee, noted that the situation "clearly points to Russia."
Additionally, The Times reported that British instructors had been warned about espionage activities related to the training of Ukrainian defenders.
