Germany on high alert over suspected Russian spy drones at military sites
"There are suspicions that Vladimir Putin is engaged in espionage activities at Bundeswehr sites where Ukrainian troops are training for frontline combat," reports the "Münchner Merkur." Despite the German authorities' lack of solid evidence, substantial indications suggest unwelcome Russian activities.
12:43 PM EST, January 8, 2024
Russian drones spotted over German military training grounds
As per German media reports, suspicious drones are spotted flying over military training areas and barracks once every week on average. They are regularly seen over the Klietz military training area (between Berlin and Wolfsburg) where the German army has been training Ukrainians on the Leo 1 for some time. Bundestag member Marcus Faber has officially confirmed this.
Faber suggests there is a strong suspicion that Russia is behind these dubious drones, but no clear evidence has been obtained since none of the drones have been intercepted yet.
Bundeswehr on alert
According to "Bild", the presence of spy drones over Bundeswehr facilities has been noted since October 2022. As soon as the threat was identified, military personnel were trained to use a disruptive transmitter (HP-47) to interfere with the suspicious drones. However, this measure has proven ineffective. Drones continue to fly, sometimes several at once, as claimed by Faber.
In November, as revealed recently, the Bundeswehr set up a task force dedicated to drones. As there are still no results, German politicians underscore the urgent need for the army to invest in modern equipment capable of disrupting spying drones.
"We must prepare for war," warns Boris Pistorius, Germany's defense minister, as quoted by "Bild."
