German military suspects Russian involvement after drones appear over military bases
German armed forces and law enforcement authorities are investigating suspected Russian espionage activities following reports of unauthorised drone flights over key military installations in Bavaria.
The incidents, confirmed by Bavarian authorities, raise concerns about potential intelligence-gathering operations against Germany's defence infrastructure as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine continues.
Reportedly, Bavaria's State Office of Criminal Investigation said the drones may be part of a broader effort to spy on German military installations and Russian involvement has not been ruled out.
The latest sighting reportedly happened over a military base near Manching, used as a testing ground for both crewed and uncrewed German aircraft.
Previous incidents were recorded in December when drones were spotted over the Manching base on three separate occasions and over another military installation in Neuburg an der Donau.
In November 2024, a similar situation was reported when a number of "small uncrewed aerial systems" were spotted over three US airbases in East Anglia.
In December, Germany's federal police, the Bundeskriminalamt, warned defence companies and critical infrastructure operators about the potential presence of Russian saboteurs among employees and contractors.
Russia has denied involvement in espionage or sabotage activities, but German authorities are treating the incidents as a potential threat to national and allied security.
The head of Germany's foreign intelligence service, Bruno Kahl, recently emphasised that acts of sabotage by Russia against Western targets could escalate tensions between Moscow and Nato.
Join Our Newsletter
