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A series of unidentified drones was spotted overnight on August 8 flying over a key Bundeswehr logistics facility in Mechernich, western Germany, where Patriot air defense systems are maintained and repaired.
According to Tagesschau, the facility is located on the outskirts of the Eifel region, southwest of Bonn. It houses a highly secured underground storage complex, located around 130 meters below ground, where equipment and spare parts for German military vehicles are kept.
The site covers around 30,000 square meters and plays an important role in the Bundeswehr's logistics network. It is also home to specialists responsible for servicing and repairing Patriot air defense systems. The facility is reportedly known within the German armed forces as the "Patriot shipyard" and is believed to be unique in Europe.
Security authorities have raised concerns over a series of recent drone sightings above the facility. According to media reports, security personnel recorded six drone flights between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. last Friday.
During the latest incident, police officers from the Euskirchen district, who had already been alerted, were reportedly at the scene and witnessed at least one drone. One of the aircraft also flew over emergency responders, according to a confidential police report.
The report said German military police observed the incident from a distance of around 40 meters. Their initial assessment suggested that the drone may have been a Fly-380 VTOL model, which has a wingspan of about 3.8 meters and a range of up to 400 kilometers.
The aircraft can reportedly reach speeds of up to 150 km/h and carry a payload of more than 10 kilograms.
A Bundeswehr Operational Command spokesperson confirmed that drones had been detected, saying two aircraft had been observed. However, the military declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.
The investigation involves North Rhine-Westphalia's State Criminal Police Office, Germany's Military Counterintelligence Service and the Joint Counter-Drone Center in Berlin.
Police are investigating the incident as a suspected case of unauthorized surveillance of military facilities and other restricted areas. The possibility that the aircraft was a commercial drone conducting aerial surveying has not been confirmed.
Drone incident near Ukrainian An-124 in Germany
The latest incident comes days after flights were temporarily suspended at Leipzig Airport on August 5 after a suspicious object was discovered near a runway, close to a Ukrainian An-124 transport aircraft.
German media later reported that the object was a modified drone that may have been equipped with explosives. Several flights were subsequently diverted to other airports.
It was later reported that the Ukrainian An-124 was carrying ammunition when the drone was discovered nearby.
German authorities are investigating the circumstances of the incident and are examining possible links to Russia.
