• Germany's armed forces have reported a significant increase in drone sightings at military sites in recent years, with several hundred suspected overflights recorded.
• The security environment in Germany and Europe has fundamentally changed, with the Bundeswehr facing daily hybrid threats including disinformation, cyberattacks, espionage, and sabotage.
• Recent incidents involving drones, including one equipped with explosives found near Ukrainian transport aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport, have prompted heightened security measures and investigations by Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office.

Germany's armed forces, the Bundeswehr, have recorded a significant increase in drone sightings in recent years, with several hundred suspected overflights reported at military sites.

A spokesman for Germany's Operational Command told the RND media group in remarks published on Wednesday that reports of drone sightings had risen sharply since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and had remained at a high level.

He said several hundred suspected drone overflights had been reported at German military sites in recent years. Most involved individual drones, although swarms had also occasionally been reported.

The spokesman added that the security environment in Germany and Europe had changed fundamentally in recent years. Germany now faced hybrid threats on a daily basis, including disinformation, cyberattacks, espionage and sabotage, he said.

Last week, the Bundeswehr said two drones had been spotted over a military base in Mechernich in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The case was handed over to police.

Also last week, a drone equipped with explosives and a detonator prompted a security alert at Leipzig/Halle Airport, where it was found near Ukrainian transport aircraft.

Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office has taken over the investigation into the incident.