Drone alarm in Schleswig-Holstein: Investigations into espionage!

Drone alarm in Schleswig-Holstein: Investigations into espionage!

The public prosecutor's office in Flensburg has started investigating several drone sightings in Schleswig-Holstein. In recent weeks, these drones have repeatedly targeted critical infrastructure such as a power plant in Kiel, the university hospital and the renowned TKMS submarine shipyard. The initial suspicion of a security-endangering crime was established and proceedings against unknown persons were initiated. Interior Minister Sabine Sütterlin-Waack (CDU) recently confirmed the sightings in the state parliament's Interior and Legal Affairs Committee. According to [stern.de].

The reports involve sightings of different types and sizes. The State Criminal Police Office has already begun to evaluate the sightings, but some reports have been ruled out as illegal drone overflights. What is particularly worrying is that sightings about military facilities have not yet been verified. Not all drones detected turned out to be threatening.

Growing concerns about security

The investigations do not only relate to the sightings in question. The suspicion of agent activity for sabotage purposes is now also being examined. This suspicion was also confirmed according to zeit.de. Drone flights have been recorded over ChemCoast Park in Brunsbüttel since August 8th. Several drones have been spotted here over several nights and are notable for their range and speed of up to 100 km/h.

The police drones are unable to keep up with the suspected high-tech drones. A special device for tracking was also unsuccessful. In this context, the Bundeswehr Air Operations Center is in contact with the state authorities and provides radar data to complete the situation picture. The Federal Ministry of the Interior has referred to the responsibility of the Schleswig-Holstein State Police, while the Federal Police and the Federal Criminal Police Office are providing support.

A new threat scenario

Experts warn that Germany is ill-prepared for this threat. Manuel Atug, a specialist in the security of critical infrastructure, emphasizes that the drones operate professionally and can stay in the air for many hours. The fact that some of the sightings occurred with navigation lights on suggests a non-secret actor. Atug theorizes that even state-run and well-organized attackers, such as Russia, could possibly be behind these incidents. This theory is supported not only by the fact that similar incidents even took place at Copenhagen Airport, but also because Denmark's government sees the sightings as a systematic threat, as zdf.de reports.

The challenges in defending against such drones are considerable, as different authorities are responsible in this country. Technical defense concepts such as “jamming” or interception with nets each have their own disadvantages. There are discussions about expanded powers for the Bundeswehr and reporting sightings to the state police, but many new regulations, such as the NIS-2 law, do not address the issue of drone defense. The demand for clear regulations and public situation reports for drone defense still remains unanswered.