BERLIN (CONVERSEER) – The head of Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), Holger Münch, said more than 1,000 suspicious drone flights had been recorded in Germany so far this year up to mid-December.
The agency has been compiling a nationwide assessment of suspected cases since the start of the year, drawing on all available data and involving the armed forces, Münch told the Bild newspaper in remarks published on Sunday.
The BKA boss said the incidents most frequently involved military facilities and airports, but also other critical infrastructure such as defence companies and port facilities.
Asked whether the drone flights could always be attributed to Russian actors, Münch said this could not be determined with complete certainty, citing the difficulty of identifying and questioning drone operators.
Germany on Wednesday inaugurated a Joint Drone Defence Centre (GDAZ) in Berlin to better detect and neutralize unauthorized drones in the future, with operations set to commence in January.
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Earlier this month, Germany’s federal police were also assigned a drone defence unit that is set to comprise around 130 specialist officers.
The unit will be deployed at airports, in the capital and nationwide near sensitive sites, and is expected to use AI-supported jamming systems and automated interceptor drones.
