Germany opened a new national drone defence centre on Wednesday to enable better coordination between central and state governments, after a string of suspicious drone sightings in recent months.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said Russia is behind many of the sightings at sensitive locations in Germany and elsewhere in Europe such as airports, military bases and power plants.
Opening the new Joint Drone Defence Centre in Berlin, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said that while Germany is not at war, “we are the targets of hybrid war tactics, almost every day”, adding that drone sightings had risen in recent months.
“We assume that in many cases, these drones are controlled by hostile powers,” Dobrindt said.
European countries have repeatedly accused Russia of conducting “hybrid” attacks — unconventional attacks that can involve sabotage, disinformation campaigns, drone use and other disruptive tactics.
The new centre will bring together Germany’s federal and 16 state police forces to create “a pool of data which will allow us… to develop predictive models able to determine the aggressors’ strategies, including those of foreign powers,” Dobrindt said.
Earlier this month, Germany also launched a new police unit focused on drone defence, which is eventually expected to employ more than 130 officers.
German lawmakers this year gave the police broader authority to shoot down drones if necessary.
Also on Wednesday, Merz addressed the threat from drones in a speech to parliament, calling them part of a campaign by Moscow to “expand its area of influence well beyond its own borders into Europe”.
“Every day Russia is transgressing with hybrid attacks, drone overflights, killings, sabotage, spying, cyberattacks and targeted disinformation,” Merz said.
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