Two drones spotted over Bundeswehr base in Mechernich
The sighting came two days after an explosive‑laden drone was found at Leipzig/Halle airport; investigations are ongoing.
Two unidentified drones were detected over a Bundeswehr military base in Mechernich in western Germany, the German army said, in an incident that took place two days after a drone carrying explosives was found at Leipzig/Halle airport.
Security surveillance at the base recorded the presence of two drones on Thursday at about 22:00. The sightings were confirmed and military police were dispatched to the site.
Investigation opened in Euskirchen
The German army said police in Euskirchen have opened an investigation. So far authorities have released no further details about who operated the drones or where they came from.
Two days earlier, shortly before midnight on Tuesday, a drone carrying explosives was discovered at Leipzig/Halle airport. The device was deactivated, and German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the case represented "a new level of danger." A bus driver reportedly shot down the explosive‑laden drone at the airport.
Leipzig/Halle is one of Europe’s major air cargo hubs and is also used to provide logistical support for Ukraine; Ukrainian Antonov transport aircraft regularly land there. The airport hosts NATO’s SALIS strategic airlift arrangement, which is used frequently to move equipment to NATO battlegroups on the eastern flank, from Finland to Romania, as well as for other EU and Alliance missions.
In 2024 an incendiary device was triggered in a logistics centre at the same airport, causing a fire in a freight container. Western security officials suspect that operation was organised by Russian intelligence services.
Photo: press material from the event
