This was reported by Bild, citing a secret report entitled “Drones as a tool for committing crimes” prepared by the Department of State Security of the Federal Drug Control Office, according to information from Ukrinform.
There were 270 incidents involving 536 drones or unmanned aerial vehicles between January and March this year. At least 55 of those involved two or more drones, according to the paper, which is believed to be the first aerial threat analysis.
Drones were most frequently spotted in the evening (45%, from 6 p.m. to midnight) and at night (28%, from midnight to 6 a.m.). During the day, their number was significantly lower: 13% in the morning and 14% during the day. The largest number of sightings occurred on Wednesday, Tuesday, and Monday.
The main targets are military installations. 117 reports were received from these locations. Of particular interest is the Bundeswehr naval base in Wilhelmshaven (Lower Saxony), where 10 flights were recorded, as well as the US air bases in Ramstein (Rhineland-Palatinate) and Bremerhaven (15 cases).
Drone flights were observed over defense installations, government and administrative buildings of the federal states.
The power supply system is also a target for drone operators, with 88 incidents reported in the first quarter.
Most of them occurred at the LNG terminals in Stade and Wilhelmshaven (both in Lower Saxony) and in Brunsbüttel (Schleswig-Gastein).
Civilian airports, ports and railway stations were also monitored.
The public prosecutor’s office opened 123 criminal cases in Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Gastein, Rhineland-Palatinate, Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia. However, in eight cases only 10 drone operators were identified.
Read also: Russian shelling death toll in Kupyansk rises to four
The Federal Organized Crime Agency warns that some drones may remain undetected by surveillance systems or radars used by both the military and police.
The report notes that undetected drones are particularly indicative of non-commercial or military models, as military and commercial drone detection systems typically detect all known aircraft. The authors of the report point out that if the systems do not detect drones, this may indicate deliberate manipulation or the use of homemade drones.
Russia has reportedly been waging a hybrid spy war against ERA for years, but this activity has increased significantly since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In particular, in December 2024 and January 2025, unknown drones were spotted flying over the Ramstein Air Base, where meetings of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine were taking place.
Photo: ukraineohchr.wixstudio.com
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *