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.
Risks to German security
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.
The closure of Munich Airport
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.
