Germany to allow police to shoot down drones breaching its airspace

Germany will empower law enforcement to take down rogue drones, including those that have disrupted airports across Europe and are linked by some European leaders to Russia’s “hybrid warfare.”

The new law, approved by the cabinet on Wednesday and pending parliamentary ratification, explicitly allows police to destroy drones violating German airspace, particularly in cases of acute threat or significant damage, Caliber.Az reports per Reuters. 

Other authorised methods include using lasers or jamming signals to sever control and navigation channels. 

The legislation follows last Friday’s incident at Munich Airport, Germany’s second-largest airport, where dozens of flights were diverted or cancelled, leaving over 10,000 passengers stranded due to the presence of intruding drones.

To recap, Europe has recently faced increasing incidents of rogue drones disrupting airports, critical infrastructure, and public events, raising concerns about both safety and potential security threats. 

Authorities have linked some of these drone activities to Russia’s broader “hybrid warfare” tactics, which include cyber operations, disinformation campaigns, and unconventional attacks to destabilise European countries.

 By Khagan Isayev