In late September, German media revealed an internal note describing coordinated drone flights over state‑fulfilling infrastructure in northern Germany, including a university clinic, power plant, and the parliament in Kiel, prompting concerns about surveillance and security.
Unidentified Rounds Over Northern Germany
An internal note described drones flying over Thyssenkrupp shipyard in Schleswig‑Holstein on 25 September, shortly after 9 pm. Two small drones took off, soon followed by a group including a carrier drone hovering over the university clinic in Kiel, before a similar formation appeared over the coastal power plant and the channel between the North Sea and Baltic Sea, according to Der Spiegel.
Sequential Flights Over Industrial Sites
Control state police noted the drones flew parallel tracks, seemingly to measure ground objects. Flights were reported to have covered a large portion of the Kiel Canal from east to west, aiming to gather precise measurements of infrastructure.
Shifts Over Kiel Bay and Parliament Building
Later, a stationary large drone and several smaller airborne objects were observed over Kiel Bay. Security sources also indicated that drones crossed over the national parliament building in Kiel and monitoring was reported over the Heide refinery, which supplies kerosene to Hamburg airport.
Military Installations Also Targeted
Separate reports identified similar drones over a Bundeswehr base in Sanitz, Mecklenburg‑Western Pomerania, a naval command in Rostock, and again near the Rostock port on 29 September. The drones were described as large quadcopters, each weighing over 2.5 kg, operating in a coordinated and consistent manner, with pilots never identified.
Calls for Joint Police‑Bundeswehr Drone Defence Centre
Because of recurring sightings, the government is urged to establish a joint police and Bundeswehr centre to defend against drones that may threaten critical infrastructure.
