The Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein, Daniel Günther, has strongly condemned recent drone incursions across several European nations, including Germany, emphasizing their intent to sow uncertainty and destabilize. In an interview with “Der Spiegel”, Günther categorized such actions, mirroring the spread of online disinformation and potential acts of sabotage, as tools of hybrid warfare.
Günther echoed the decisive response demonstrated by neighboring Denmark and advocated for a robust and unified European response to these incidents. He specifically called for the swift implementation of an effective drone defense system in Germany, designed to safeguard critical infrastructure and the general population.
Günther expressed confidence that Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, in collaboration with the individual states, will develop and rapidly enact a comprehensive plan of action. He welcomed Dobrindt’s stated intention to bolster Germany’s drone defense capabilities and expand the authority of the Bundeswehr to better address emerging threats.
Following the recent drone sightings, a state of alert was triggered within the German government, with high-ranking security officials recognizing the operation as a deliberate attempt to survey critical infrastructure. The deployment of a “mother drone” accompanied by a swarm of smaller drones raised immediate concerns, indicating a sophisticated operational approach.
While an immediate threat was not deemed to exist, authorities suspect the drone swarm was employed to map ground-based infrastructure and serve as a test of the response capabilities of security agencies and the Bundeswehr. Preliminary investigations suggest the drone swarm may have been launched from a civilian vessel linked to the so-called Russian shadow fleet, believed to have been operating in the Baltic Sea north of Rostock. However, this remains a working hypothesis pending conclusive evidence, as conventional radar systems failed to detect the drones’ launch. The current location of the suspected vessel is presently unknown.
