Bild: 536 unidentified drones spotted over important sites in Germany in three months

Between January and March of this year, hundreds of unidentified drones were spotted flying over important targets in Germany. This was reported by the newspaper Bild with reference to an internal report of the Federal Criminal Police Office entitled "Drone as a means of crime".

UAVs were spotted over military bases and critical infrastructure. Between January and March, 270 incidents involving 536 drones were recorded. In at least 55 cases, two or more UAVs were spotted at the same time.

Drones were mostly spotted in the evenings (45%, from 18:00 to midnight) and at night (28%, from midnight to 06:00). The number of sightings during the day was lower: 13% in the morning and 14% in the afternoon.

According to the document, special attention is paid to spy flights at military facilities: 117 incidents were documented in this area, including 10 at the naval base in Wilhelmshaven. Up to 15 drones have been spotted flying in formation at the same time over the US Ramstein Air Base and in Bremerhaven.

In addition to military installations, drones have been spotted over energy supply facilities. There have been 88 incidents reported in this area, including near liquefied natural gas terminals in Stade, Wilhelmshaven, and Brunsbüttel.

In addition, drones have been spotted over civilian airports, ports and railway stations, defense enterprises, government and administrative buildings.

The prosecutor's office opened 123 criminal proceedings over these facts. Preliminary investigations failed to prove foreign control, but did not rule it out either. In only eight cases were 10 drone pilots identified.

• On August 22, 2024, unidentified drones were spotted over the largest industrial park in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and over the decommissioned nuclear power plant in Brunsbüttel.
• In early December, unidentified drones were again spotted over a number of sites in Germany.
• On January 13, 2025, it became known that unidentified drones have been spotted several times over the past month over a military base near the German city of Manning. An investigation has been launched into alleged cases of Russian espionage.