Germany’s drone dilemma explained: What’s buzzing its skies, who might be behind it, and why the response is so hard

Germany’s escalating drone security challenge (Representative Image)

In recent weeks, unidentified drones have appeared near key German infrastructure—from an industrial park outside Hamburg to Munich’s international airport and the Baltic port of Kiel—forcing disruptions including a temporary halt to flights in Munich. Through September, airfields logged 172 suspicious drone incidents, up from 129 in the same period last year, the New York Times reported.

Who’s suspected—and why

Chancellor Friedrich Merz says Germany believes Russia is behind most flights, describing them as probes “from those who want to test us.” Officials say many drones are off-the-shelf models using common radio bands, but roughly a fifth appear to be custom rigs. Some sightings over Kiel are suspected to originate from Russian vessels; others may be launched by “throwaway agents” inside Germany—locals recruited via Telegram or Discord and paid in crypto to fly drones at set places and times.

Why Germany can’t just shoot them down

Jurisdiction is tangled. The military is largely barred from operating domestically except to protect its own facilities or in major disasters. Federal and state police have authority but lack gear and training scaled to the threat. Changing the constitution would require a two-thirds Bundestag vote—unlikely with the governing coalition’s narrow majority.

The policy debate

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt wants legal changes so the military can act as a last resort. Others, like defence committee chair Thomas Röwekamp, argue that with “18 different security authorities” responsible, only giving the military full authority—including to shoot drones down—will suffice. Experts warn the drone threat is heterogeneous: different platforms, frequencies, operators and aims.

Tools on the table

Counter-drone kits—nets, jammers, small interceptors—exist but aren’t deployed at needed scale. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has pledged €10 billion over the coming years for drones and countermeasures. The EU is debating a “drone wall” of sensors and defences along its eastern border, though that would take years. Analysts urge a coordinated national strategy and a federal drone defence centre to avoid a costly patchwork that adversaries can game.

The bigger picture

Officials frame the incursions as hybrid warfare—meant to sow fear, expose seams in governance and erode public confidence. Merz told the Bundestag Germany won’t be intimidated or destabilised by such attacks. The immediate challenge remains practical: detect varied drones quickly, decide who’s in charge in each airspace, and act within tight legal bounds—before the next airport, port or power hub is forced to a standstill.