Germany has launched an investigation after two drones were detected over a military facility in Mechernich, North Rhine-Westphalia, adding to growing concerns about drone incursions around sensitive sites.
The German armed forces said the drones were observed at about 10pm local time on Thursday over the facility, which is located roughly 35 kilometres from the Belgian border.
Military police were initially deployed after the sightings before the case was transferred to police in nearby Euskirchen.
Authorities said investigations were ongoing but did not disclose further details about the identity of the drones or their operators.
German media reports have drawn attention to the strategic importance of the Mechernich facility, saying it includes a heavily protected underground storage complex used for military equipment and spare parts.
The site also reportedly houses personnel responsible for maintaining U.S.-supplied Patriot air-defence systems, adding to concerns over the potential significance of unauthorised aerial surveillance around the facility.
The incident occurred only days after another drone sighting near Leipzig/Halle Airport.
German media reports said a drone suspected of carrying explosives was discovered late Tuesday near several Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft.
The two incidents have intensified scrutiny of Germany’s ability to protect sensitive military and transport infrastructure from increasingly sophisticated drone threats.
They have also renewed wider concerns over the vulnerability of NATO airspace, particularly as European governments face a growing range of security challenges linked to the war in Ukraine.
German authorities have not publicly linked either drone incident to a foreign government.
However, some lawmakers have raised the possibility of Russian involvement, citing the broader security environment in Europe more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow has rejected the allegations.
Russia’s embassy in Berlin dismissed the claims surrounding the Leipzig incident on Friday, describing it as a “fabricated provocation” and accusing those pointing the finger at Moscow of doing so without presenting evidence.
For now, investigators have yet to establish who operated the drones over the military facility or what their purpose was.
The incidents nevertheless underscore a growing challenge for Germany and its NATO allies: how to detect, identify and respond to unmanned aircraft appearing over strategically sensitive locations before they can pose a wider security threat.
