Germany investigates drone flights over military targets: alleged Russian espionage
Kyiv • UNN
The German police have launched an investigation into possible Russian espionage after detecting drones over military facilities in Bavaria. The incidents were recorded in Manching and Neuburg an der Donau.
German police said on Monday, January 13, that they had launched an investigation into suspected Russian espionage after drones were spotted over several military installations in Bavaria. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.
Details
The Bavarian State Criminal Investigation Office said that amid the war with Russia in Ukraine, it is possible that German military facilities and defense companies are being spied on by drones.
The latest incident occurred on Sunday, when a drone was spotted over a military base in the Manching area.
Drones were also spotted over the Manning base for three days in December, the statement said. Another unauthorized flight occurred the same month over a military facility in Neuburg an der Donau.
In December, the German Federal Police warned companies that there could be Russian saboteurs among their employees and contractors.
Investigators have pointed to a number of unauthorized drone flights against targets including military installations, LNG and oil terminals, seaports, and logistics companies as examples of alleged sabotage by Russian state actors in recent months.
The head of Germany's foreign intelligence service, Bruno Kahl, said last month that Russia's sabotage acts against Western targets could eventually force NATO to consider invoking Article 5 on mutual defense. According to this article, if one of NATO's members is attacked, other allies are obliged to provide it with assistance in response.