Germany’s armed forces said two drones were detected over a military facility in Mechernich, North Rhine-Westphalia, at around 10pm local time on Thursday.
The facility is located roughly 35 kilometres from the Belgian border.
Military police were deployed to the site after the drones were spotted before the case was handed over to police in the nearby town of Euskirchen. Authorities said an investigation was underway but provided no further details.
German media reports said the Mechernich Bundeswehr facility contains a heavily secured underground storage site used for military equipment and spare parts. The base also houses personnel involved in maintaining US-supplied Patriot air defence systems.
The incident came days after a separate drone sighting at Leipzig/Halle Airport late Tuesday, when a suspected explosive-carrying drone was reportedly discovered near several Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft, according to German media reports.
The two incidents have heightened concerns about the vulnerability of NATO airspace to drone incursions and renewed questions about Germany’s preparedness to respond to emerging security threats.
German authorities have not attributed either incident to any foreign government. Some lawmakers, however, have raised suspicions about possible Russian involvement, more than four years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s embassy in Berlin rejected the allegations on Friday, describing the Leipzig incident as a “fabricated provocation” and accusing critics of making claims against Moscow without providing evidence.
Goodness Anunobi
