German politicians are at loggerheads over how the country should defend itself from drones amid worrying reports over Russian activity. Intelligence services in Germany reportedly claim there were more than 530 Russian drone sightings recorded over the country in the first four months of this year alone.
It is claimed Russia is flying surveillance drones over eastern Germany to track Western arms shipments to Ukraine – something the Kremlin denies. In January, Germany’s former government said it approved plans to allow its armed forces to shoot down “illegally flying drones in the event of an impending particularly serious accident”. This was to be done when police forces were unable to do so and required support, however the law amendment was not passed.
Konstantin von Notz, a member of the Green Party and chairman of the Parliamentary Control Committee, accused the CDU-CSU of not supporting this due to “party tactical consideration”.
According to Euronews, he warned: “This has led to a months-long standstill, a delay that we cannot afford in view of the sharp rise in threats and the increasingly aggressive behaviour of several authoritarian states, above all Russia and China.”
Germany’s coalition government unveiled a new draft bill last week that aims to strengthen military security.
However, Mr von Notz has criticised the bill for not being strong enough, warning: “This draft also shows that the German government is still not in a position to adequately counter the extreme threats posed by hybrid attacks to our democracy, our economy and our citizens.”
He said regulation that “comprehensively and clearly structures the responsibilities for drone defence in both the military and civilian sectors” is required.
A policy spokesperson from the SDP, which is part of the NATO nation’s coalition, said ministers believe civilian authorities must take the lead in drone defence.
Sebastian Fiedler said Germany’s Bundeswehr must only be involved in exceptional cases, according to Euronews, adding the new draft bill will grant police with extra powers against drones.
A German defence ministry spokesperson told the outlet the military is only responsible for its own sites.
Several European nations have accused Moscow of sabotage activity in recent years.
Reports claim Russia, or its proxies, are flying surveillance drones over Germany to understand what weapons are going into Ukraine and how.
Germany has been one of Ukraine’s biggest supporters during its war against Vladimir Putin’s invading forces.
Drones have repeatedly been seen over German military bases, as well as crucial infrastructure areas, according to newspaper Bild, citing an internal report by Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office