Drone threat prompts German premier to seek Bundeswehr powers at home

Daniel Günther, premier of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, has called for the Bundeswehr (Germany’s armed forces) to be allowed to operate within the country following a drone incident.

He noted that “in the case of drones, it is practically impossible to distinguish an external threat from an internal one.” “And that is precisely why I believe we need to discuss changing Germany’s Basic Law, and I hope that we will achieve concrete results here,” Günther said in an interview with Deutschlandfunk radio.

The politician also expressed confidence that, when it comes to external and internal security, a strict division of responsibilities between the federal government and the individual states is no longer appropriate.

On the night of August 5, a drone equipped with an improvised explosive device was discovered on the airfield of Leipzig/Halle Airport near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft. The object was examined, and German investigators were able to find DNA traces on the drone.

According to Bild, the DNA allegedly matches samples found during an investigation into an incident at a DHL logistics centre at the same airport in 2024. At the time, a shipment at the company’s warehouse caught fire and was reportedly believed to contain an incendiary device. The publication provided no further details.

By Jeyhun Aghazada