NYT: Russian Drones Spy on US Military Cargo in Germany

Russia or its proxies are flying reconnaissance drones over routes used by the United States and its allies to transport military supplies through eastern Germany.

The New York Times reported this, citing American and European military officials.

These drones are believed to be helping the Russians gather intelligence to strengthen their sabotage campaign and help the invasion forces in Ukraine.

According to Western officials, although Russia’s intelligence operations are under increasingly tight control, the Russians have retained the ability to recruit people to carry out attacks across Europe.

As a result, U.S. and European military officials are increasingly concerned about drone flights in Germany.

The German newspaper WirtschaftsWoche also reported on these flights, which were concentrated in the eastern German state of Thuringia.

The media noted that Germany is building up its anti-drone systems at military bases. A spokesperson for the German armed forces told the newspaper that drone flights near military installations pose a significant security threat.

The newspaper also reported that at least some of the drones were manufactured in Iran, and German intelligence officials believe that at least some of the flights could have been launched from ships in the Baltic Sea.

U.S. officials confirmed the flights but said they were unable to trace their origin. They believe the drones were operated by Russians or people working for Russian intelligence services.

Bild reported that between January and March, 536 unidentified drones were spotted over Germany, monitoring military and critical infrastructure.

During this period, 270 incidents involving 536 drones were registered. In at least 55 cases, two or more drones were detected simultaneously.

UAVs were mostly spotted in the evening and at night. They were seen especially often around military facilities. The epicenters were the naval base in Wilhelmshaven and the Ramstein air base.