German military investigates unidentified drones flying over German military bases where Ukrainians train, media reports
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Germany's Bundeswehr is investigating potental espionage after unidentified drones were spotted six times in January flying over a sensitive German military base where Ukrainians have been training, Der Spiegel reported on Feb. 9.
Germany failed to force the drones to land or to locate their pilots despite the use of special jamming devices, the Der Spiegel report said.
The Schwesing base is located in the North Sea and has been used to train both Germans and Ukrainians on the Patriot air defense system. These advanced weapons systems have played a crucial role in defending Ukraine's skies from missile and drone attacks, which have drastically increased over the past several months.
The Bundeswehr believes Russia is the top suspect behind the drone flights, said Der Spiegel, referencing an internal report on the matter.
Incidents of drones believed to be spying on German bases where Ukrainians train have been reported for over a year.
In December, Germany charged three German-Russian citizens with espionage on behalf of Moscow, after the suspects were said to have photographed and explored potential targets in Germany for sabotage.
