Drones spotted over German base days after Leipzig bomb incident
Two drones were spotted over a military base in western Germany just days after an explosive‑laden device was found at Leipzig airport.
The Bundeswehr confirmed the sighting on Thursday evening at the Mechernich base, near Bonn, which houses components for U.S.‑made Patriot air‑defence systems.
A Bundeswehr Joint Force Command spokesperson said military police were deployed to the site before authorities transferred the matter to local police.
This follows a recent spate of drone sightings across European airspace, with French and British governments warning of “hybrid warfare” threats. Germany is currently investigating how an explosive drone reached the Leipzig/Halle runway, where NATO, German forces and Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines operate.
The interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, told the media that Germany has become a regular target of destabilising attacks despite not being at war.
The Mechernich storage facility’s role in maintaining Patriot batteries has made it a strategic target, as Ukraine relies on these systems to intercept Russian ballistic missiles. President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned allies that Ukraine’s interceptor supplies are running thin.
The German investigation into the Leipzig drone bomb has been ongoing for several days, with the Bundeswehr refusing to comment on the drones seen over Mechernich. Local police are currently being consulted for expert insight.
European officials attribute many of these drone incidents to Russia, a claim Moscow has consistently denied. The EU has discussed a continent‑wide “drone wall” of air defences in response to the heightened threat.
