In brief
Two drones were spotted hovering above a German military base in Mechernich, near Bonn, days after a bomb‑laden device was found at Leipzig airport. Germany’s armed forces confirmed the sightings and brought in military police before handing the case to local police. The base stocks components for U.S. Patriot air‑defence systems, crucial for Ukraine’s missile interception capability. The incident adds to concerns that hybrid attacks targeting European infrastructure could be linked to war‑zone tensions, though Moscow denies involvement.
Two drones were spotted hovering above a German military base in Mechernich, near Bonn, days after a bomb‑laden device was found at Leipzig airport.
Germany’s armed forces (Bundeswehr) confirmed the sightings on Thursday evening. Military police were deployed to the site before the incident was handed over to local police.
The base stores components and spare parts for U.S. Patriot air‑defence systems, which have become key to Ukraine’s ability to intercept Russian ballistic missiles since the full‑scale invasion in 2022.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt warned that the country has become a regular target of “destabilising” attacks, describing the situation as a form of hybrid warfare, even though Germany is not at war.
Investigations are underway into how the drone carrying explosives reached Leipzig/Halle airport, a NATO and German military airfield that also serves as a base for Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines.
Some European officials blame Russia for the drone sightings, a claim Moscow has repeatedly called “absurd.”
