Germany Investigates Drone Flights over a Secure Base

Unidentified drones reportedly flew over an important German military base in Mechernich overnight from Thursday to Friday. Located 130 m underground, the site houses a high-security facility covering 30,000 square meters that serves as a key warehouse for equipment and spare parts for the Bundeswehr.

According to Tagesschau, specialists there also perform maintenance and repairs on Patriot air defense systems at a facility known as the "Patriot Shipyard", which is likely the only one of its kind in Europe.

According to information from WDR, NDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung, security personnel recorded a total of six drone overflights between 10 p.m. on Thursday and 5 a.m. on Friday, while a spokesperson for the operational command confirmed the sighting of two drones.

The background of the incident remains unclear, and investigations so far have not revealed that it involved a misdirected reconnaissance drone. Authorities are investigating suspicions of unauthorized photography of military facilities, weapons or sensitive areas.

(max)