Persistent drone surveillance over Bundeswehr grounds linked to Russia. A potential espionage threat
2:34 PM EST, January 7, 2024
- Drones are routinely observed flying over the Klietz military training ground where the Bundeswehr is training Ukrainians on Leopard 1 tanks. At other bases, several drones have been seen taking to the air simultaneously - said Marcus Faber, a member of the Bundestag and the defense committee, in a discussion with a German newspaper.
He further insinuated that the operation is organized and points towards Russia."
Such a perspective is shared by the Bundeswehr as well. However, Berlin's Ministry of Defense has not officially confirmed if the drones spotted over the training grounds were intercepted or shot down. Also, it remains unclear if the operators of these devices have been apprehended.
"Bild" highlights that the situation has been known to the German military for quite some time. Details about Russian agencies surveilling the training of Ukrainian pilots were earlier reported by the "Spiegel" newspaper in 2022.
In October 2023, General Carsten Breuer, the commander of the Bundeswehr Territorial Command at the time and currently leads the German armed forces, expressed concern over the drone reports. Consequently, Berlin initiated training for personnel to operate devices that compel the drones to land. Despite that, the politicians are intensifying pressure on the military, for these measures have proved ineffective.
Source: "Bild"
