BERLIN — Germany faces daily threats of hybrid warfare from foreign powers, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said, after an explosive-laden drone was discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport in what authorities are investigating as a serious security incident.
“We’re not at war, but we are the daily target of hybrid warfare,” Dobrindt told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, describing espionage, sabotage, cyberattacks and covert operations aimed at destabilising Germany or causing direct harm as a constant threat. He did not identify any country as responsible.
The warning followed the discovery on Tuesday of a drone fitted with explosives and a detonator at the airport in eastern Germany. Germany’s federal prosecutor has taken over the investigation, describing the incident as a serious attack on the country’s transportation and logistics infrastructure.
The drone was found near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle, a major freight hub. German authorities have not publicly established who operated the drone or whether it was intended to attack the aircraft. Some German lawmakers have pointed to possible Russian involvement, but Russia’s embassy in Berlin rejected the allegations, calling the incident a “fabricated provocation.”
The incident has prompted renewed scrutiny of Germany’s ability to detect and counter drones around critical infrastructure. Dobrindt’s ministry is considering an expansion of federal anti-drone capabilities, with German media reporting plans to double the number of specialist personnel to 300 from 150 and increase the number of operational bases to eight from four. The ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Germany’s armed forces also said two drones were spotted late Thursday over a military base site in Mechernich, in North Rhine-Westphalia. The authorities have not publicly attributed those sightings to a particular actor.
Germany has been strengthening its counter-drone measures amid increased concerns over espionage and sabotage. Legislation approved earlier this year expanded the Bundeswehr’s powers to assist police in countering drones, including, under specified circumstances, the use of force against unmanned aircraft.
The federal prosecutor’s investigation into the Leipzig/Halle incident remains ongoing, with no perpetrator publicly identified.
