German police to be allowed to shoot down unauthorized drones - Reuters
Kyiv • UNN
The German cabinet has approved a law allowing police to shoot down drones that violate airspace, including in cases of acute threat. This decision was made after drone incidents at airports, particularly in Munich, and an increase in the number of air traffic violations.
In Germany, the police will be given powers to shoot down unauthorized drones, similar to those that disrupted airports across Europe, and which some European leaders attribute to Russia's hybrid warfare. This is reported by UNN with reference to Reuters.
Details
The new law, agreed upon by the cabinet on Wednesday and awaiting parliamentary approval, explicitly authorizes the police to shoot down drones that violate German airspace, including shooting them down in cases of acute threat or serious damage.
Other methods available for shooting down drones include using lasers or jamming signals to disrupt control and navigation channels.
Drone incidents threaten our security. We will not allow this. We are strengthening the powers of the Federal Police so that drones can be detected and countered more quickly in the future.
The new law comes after dozens of flights were diverted or canceled at Munich Airport, Germany's second-largest airport, last Friday due to an unknown drone being detected in the airspace. As a result, more than 10,000 passengers were stranded at the airport.
Merz said he believed Russia was behind the launch of many drones that flew over Germany last weekend, but none of them were armed, but rather carried out reconnaissance flights.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said that a special unit would be created within the federal police to combat drones, and researchers would consult with Israel and Ukraine, as they are more advanced in drone technology.
Police will deal with drones flying at approximately tree-top level, while more powerful drones should be dealt with by the military, Dobrindt said.
According to Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS), Germany recorded 172 drone-related air traffic violations from January to the end of September 2025, compared to 129 cases in the same period last year and 121 cases in 2023.
Addition
The Dutch cabinet is preparing to create a special airspace where autonomous drones capable of flying beyond the operators' direct line of sight will be tested. According to the plan, the test site should be operational after the summer of 2026, although final approval of the airspace is still ongoing.