Internal ministers from various states will need to coordinate their approaches regarding drone defense, leading them to plan an additional meeting. Andy Grote (SPD), the Hamburg Senator and president of the Ministers Conference of the Interior (IMK), informed the Bild-Zeitung that there are current considerations for a working session focusing specifically on drone defense issues. He clarified that this is not planned as a special IMK, and although no date has been set yet, the meeting could potentially take place in Hamburg in September, with experts from both the federal government and the states invited to participate.
Joachim Schwickert (CDU), the Interior Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, views the Leipzig incident as a “clear warning signal,” noting that drones are long established as part of hybrid threats. His state has accordingly been expanding its police drone defense capabilities and investing in modern technology. However, Schwickert stressed that “no single state can handle drone defense alone.” He emphasized the importance of collaboration among the federal police, the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces), US forces, critical infrastructure operators, and other states, as well as the Joint Drone Defense Centre.
Similarly, Herbert Reul (CDU), the Interior Minister for North Rhine-Westphalia, told the Bild newspaper, “Leipzig is a wake-up call: drones are no longer toys; they can become bombs.” Reul underlined the necessity of establishing clear responsibilities, asking pointed questions regarding who intervenes, when they intervene, what actions are permitted, and who assumes ultimate accountability.
