Suspicious drones sighted over German military base days after Leipzig airport incident

Two drones were detected over a military base in the town of Mechernich in western Germany, a Bundeswehr official said on Aug. 7.

The suspicious sighting comes two days after a serious security incident involving unknown drones at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport overnight on Aug. 5. One drone was found next to a Ukrainian transport plane while another collided with an incoming cargo plane, causing minor damage and temporary suspension of flight operations.

Two days later, at around 10:00 a.m. local time on Aug. 7, two drones were spotted over the Mechernich military base, located in Germany's Euskirchen district in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. A spokesperson from the Bundeswehr Operational Command confirmed the sighting, according to the German media outlet Die Zeit.

Military police first investigated the incident, the spokesperson said. The investigation has now been handed over to local law enforcement in Euskirchen.

Suspected Russian-linked  drone incidents have repeatedly disrupted airports across Europe, causing flight suspensions and diversions. Similar incidents have been reported at military bases in EU and NATO countries.

The Leipzig airport incident marks an escalation in the security threat posed by such incidents, with German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt calling it "very serious."  

Authorities reported that a "modified drone" containing a detonator and an "unknown substance" was discovered near a Ukrainian Antonov Airlines An-124 transport aircraft at the airport, which has served as a base for Antonov Airlines since shortly after the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Another "unidentified flying object" collided with a DHL plane, forcing it to re-route to Hamburg Airport. No casualties resulted from either incident.

The drone breach triggered a meeting of Germany's National Security Council. Dobrindt did not rule out the possibility that "foreign powers" were behind the operation, which might represent a "hybrid attack."

The increase in drone sightings has raised alarm over Russia's potential military capabilities in Europe and NATO.

In June, German Army Chief Christian Freuding warned that Russia might be ready to strike NATO countries within the next three years.