Unidentified drones have been spotted flying over sensitive locations in Germany in recent weeks, including an industrial zone and the U.S. Air Base in Ramstein, police sources confirmed today.
“Several drone flights over critical infrastructure have been observed in Rhineland-Palatinate in recent days,” an unnamed spokesperson for the criminal police in the southwestern German region told AFP.
Initially, the BASF plant in Ludwigshafen was targeted by these flyovers, followed by drone sightings over the U.S. Air Base in Ramstein, the same source added.
The drone flights typically occurred at twilight. The drones could be seen at dusk and were clearly visible in the dark due to their light signals.
These drones were reported to be “larger than typical commercial ‘hobby drones’,” according to regional police.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have stated that there is “no specific risk to the affected institutions.”
The flights over the Ramstein Air Base, the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force in Europe, took place on the evenings of December 3rd and 4th, according to Der Spiegel magazine. Several German TV stations have also reported on the drone activity.
In addition to the massive BASF chemical complex in Ludwigshafen, drones have also been observed over sites belonging to Rheinmetall Group, one of Europe’s largest arms manufacturers, Der Spiegel reports, citing German security services.
Suspicious drones have also been regularly flying over the largest ammunition manufacturing site of Rheinmetall in Lower Saxony, according to AFP sources.
Western politicians and experts believe that Russia is intensifying “hybrid warfare” acts, particularly in northern Europe, orchestrating hostile campaigns aimed at destabilizing countries.
