About 3,000 passengers were affected by the interruption, although airport authorities assured that the situation was under control. Finally, operations resumed on Friday morning.
The drones that flew over critical infrastructure in northern Germany were reportedly operated from a cargo ship in the Baltic Sea
About 3,000 passengers were affected by the interruption, although airport authorities assured that the situation was under control. Finally, operations resumed on Friday morning.
According to Der Spiegel magazine, the drones that crossed northern Germany at the end of September and approached strategic infrastructure were reportedly controlled from a 100-meter (328-foot) long cargo ship. The vessel, allegedly part of the Russian "shadow fleet", was technically adapted for the takeoff and landing of large drones.
The cargo ship was sailing under the flag of an unspecified Caribbean country, but its crew was mainly composed of Russian citizens. After the episode, the vessel headed east and, days later, arrived at a port in Russia.
German security services suspect that the vessel's trajectory is directly related to the detected drones. The incident reignited discussions about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and Germany's ability to confront intelligence and sabotage operations on its own territory.
Concern increased after a new episode was recorded last night, when drones were spotted near Munich Airport, which forced its operations to be temporarily suspended.
Munich International Airport, one of Europe's main air hubs and a strategic base for Lufthansa, suspended flights on Thursday night after the sightings. The measure led to the cancellation of 17 flights and the diversion of another 15 to airports in Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Frankfurt, and Vienna.
In the first half of 2024, Munich handled nearly 20 million passengers, so the interruption had a significant impact on Germany's international connectivity.
The incident exposed current legal limitations: the Armed Forces can only shoot down drones if they fly over military facilities, while control of the airspace falls to the police. This division of responsibilities complicates the immediate response to threats.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt proposed reforming the regulations to improve coordination between the armed forces and police in anti-drone defense. The initiative seeks to provide Germany with a stronger legal and technical framework in the face of a scenario of growing threats.
The German case is part of a European context of growing concern about hybrid tactics linked to Russia. The use of drones to disrupt critical infrastructure or generate destabilization has become a challenge shared by several countries in the region.