Russian spy drones over Germany turn into an even greater threat

Russian spy drones targeting German critical infrastructure have escalated from surveillance flights to potential ship-based operations, with authorities seizing a suspected espionage vessel amid hundreds of drone incursions recorded since the start of the year.

The targets include military sites as well as critical civilian infrastructure, such as LNG terminals. This made matters complicated, as the Bundeswehr is not the only responsible authority: when it comes to civilian infrastructure, the police takes the lead.

The jurisdictional divide became apparent last weekend when special police units from Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony intercepted and searched the freighter Scanlark at the Kiel-Holtenau lock on espionage and sabotage suspicions.

According to the interior ministers of Schleswig-Holstein, Sabine Sütterlin-Waack, and Lower Saxony, Daniela Behrens, the ship is suspected of having been used as a "base for drone flights over critical infrastructure in northern Germany."

German newspaper Kieler Nachrichten reported that a drone is believed to have flown over and recorded a naval vessel.

Stressing the importance of cross-state cooperation in responding to hybrid threats, the ministers described the operation as a "strong signal" of the rule of law in action. The two highlighted the solidarity of the coastal states, which are particularly vulnerable due to their strategically crucial maritime infrastructure.

The 75-metre vessel reportedly operates for the Estonian shipping company Vista Shipping Agency and has been registered in the Caribbean state of St Vincent and the Grenadines since 2006. Before arriving in Kiel, it had been in Rotterdam, with Finland reportedly as its next destination.

Espionage from 'shadow fleet'

Russia often uses older tankers and cargo ships to bypass EU and US sanctions on its energy and export sectors.

A joint investigation made public in August by Follow the Money, Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR, VRT, De Tijd and Pointer found that Moscow may also launch drones from these vessels to carry out reconnaissance missions in Germany.

Hans-Jakob Schindler, head of the Counter Extremism Project, agreed, saying this is "entirely possible", as many ships from the so-called "shadow fleet" regularly traverse the Baltic Sea.

If this is the case, Schindler pointed out, it raises questions about how the ships are monitored and whether authorities have the capacity to keep track of them, given the size of the Baltic and the sheer number of vessels.

Complete surveillance of every ship by German authorities is therefore not feasible and, according to Schindler, "might not even be the most effective use of resources."

Bureaucratic hurdles in countering drones

Before any action can be taken against Russian spy drones, questions of jurisdiction must be settled. Depending on the location and within German territory, either the police or the Bundeswehr is responsible.

If drones are launched from international waters, there is no way to intervene. Action is only permitted once they enter German airspace, but even then, "it remains unclear whether responsibility is sufficiently defined and whether the legal framework exists", Schindler noted.

Whether radar stations can detect drones effectively depends largely on size, with larger drones easier to spot, he added. "The challenges posed by such drone flights are varied," Schindler explained.

"Over military sites there are usually no-fly zones, so any drones in these areas are in clear violation," he emphasised.

For critical infrastructure or moving military transports, the situation is less clear. Here, authorities need to determine "how likely it is that a drone is conducting surveillance rather than being a private hobby drone," Schindler told Euronews.

Legal gaps hamper defence

The German Federal Interior Ministry (BMI) told Euronews that federal and state authorities "maintain constant communication, including with infrastructure operators and other stakeholders."

Established reporting and communication channels exist, but cooperation is adapted as needed to reflect the evolving nature of threats.

During the last legislative term, the previous coalition government planned to amend the German air security law to allow the Bundeswehr to shoot down illegal and dangerous drones if the police were technically unable and requested assistance.

The proposal was never passed. Konstantin von Notz, Green MP and chair of the Parliamentary Control Committee, criticised the opposition for blocking the measure for "party-political reasons".

A ministry spokesperson confirmed that the draft lapsed and any changes must be resubmitted to the Bundestag. The new government has yet to reach a position on updating the Air Security Act.

Espionage — and provocation

Since Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, incidents involving spy drones have increased across Europe. Some drones, apparently by accident, have crossed from Ukraine into Polish airspace.

Just last weekend, a drone marked with Russian lettering crashed into a field near Lublin after entering Polish airspace from Ukraine.

At the Belarusian border, authorities recently found drone debris with markings in Cyrillic. While investigations are ongoing, Polish authorities confirmed both objects were unarmed.

Warsaw warns these incidents could also be deliberate provocations — which would serve as further proof that the drone threat is not confined to Germany but affects the entire eastern NATO region.