Violations of German airspace by Russian spy drones have massively increased over the past year, the daily BILD newspaper reported Wednesday.
There was another drone incursion over the southwestern German state of Rhineland-Palatinate before Christmas which is said to have also affected military facilities.
Asked by BILD, an unnamed spokesman for the Interior Ministry of Rhineland-Palatinate pointed out that in his state alone "around 100 cases became known to the police departments" in 2024.
"The use of large drones to spy on security-relevant properties is also noticeably increasing in Germany. They are presumably part of Russia's hybrid warfare," the ministry said in a written statement.
According to the report, no drone in Rhineland-Palatinate could be intercepted.
The latest report comes out after claims by Germany's intelligence chief that Russia is actively preparing for a military conflict with NATO within the next five years.
"Russia is preparing for a war with the West," Bruno Kahl, head of the foreign intelligence agency BND, told a gathering at the Berlin-based German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) on Nov. 28.
According to the BND's information, he said, Russia is currently undertaking its biggest restructuring of its armed forces since 2008, and heavily investing in advanced weapons systems.
