Unknown drones detected over German base handling Patriot repairs
Mysterious drones were spotted on August 8 over German base where Patriot missile systems are repaired (photo: Getty Images)
A series of unidentified drones was spotted flying over a key Bundeswehr logistics facility in the city of Mechernich during the night of August 8. Patriot air defense systems are repaired at the facility, according to Tagesschau.
Mechernich is located on the outskirts of the Eifel region, southwest of Bonn. It is home to an important Bundeswehr facility—a highly secure underground site located 130 meters below ground that houses a high-security storage facility.
Equipment and spare parts for the armed forces' military hardware are stored here across 30,000 square meters. The facility is a key part of the Bundeswehr's logistics network.
In addition, Bundeswehr specialists responsible for maintaining and repairing Patriot air defense systems work at the site. Known within the armed forces as the "Patriot shipyard," the facility is reportedly the only one of its kind in Europe.
Media reports say the recent drone flights over the facility have raised serious concerns among security authorities. Last week, employees at a security company reportedly recorded six drone sightings between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
During the most recent sighting, police officers from the Euskirchen district police department, who had already been alerted, were reportedly at the scene and also witnessed at least one drone flight.
One drone even circled over emergency response services. This information comes from a confidential police report.
Based on the report, military police of the German armed forces also observed the incident from a distance of about 40 meters.
The report says their preliminary assessment was that the drone was likely a Fly-380 VTOL model. These drones have a wingspan of about 3.8 meters and a range of up to 400 kilometers.
They can reach speeds of up to 150 km/h and carry a payload weighing more than 10 kilograms.
A representative of the Bundeswehr Operational Command officially confirmed that drones had been detected, specifying that two aircraft had been spotted, but declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.
The North Rhine-Westphalia State Criminal Police Office, the Military Counterintelligence Service and the Joint Drone Defense Center in Berlin have joined the investigation.
Police are investigating the case on suspicion of unauthorized filming of military facilities and high-security areas. The theory that a commercial drone conducting topographic surveying accidentally flew over the site has not been confirmed to date.
Drone incident near An-124 in Germany
Earlier, on August 5, flights at Leipzig Airport were temporarily suspended after a suspicious object was found near the runway, close to a Ukrainian An-124 transport aircraft.
According to media reports, the object turned out to be a modified drone that may have been equipped with explosives. The incident forced some flights to be diverted to other airports.
It was later reported that the Ukrainian An-124 cargo aircraft, near which an explosive-equipped drone was found at Leipzig Airport, was carrying ammunition.
German authorities are investigating the circumstances of the incident and checking possible Russian involvement in the appearance of the drone near the Ukrainian aircraft.
