Unidentified drones spotted over German military facilities

German authorities have reported new sightings of drones flying over key military and industrial sites in the state of North Rhine–Westphalia.

Drones were observed on the evening of January 13, with the security team at a chemical park in the city of Marl alerting local police, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

In addition to the chemical facility, drones were also spotted over an ammunition depot of the Bundeswehr in Dorsten, as well as in the areas surrounding Bochum, Oberhausen, and Essen.

Law enforcement officials have indicated that the drone activity is unlikely to be accidental, raising concerns over potential surveillance or malicious intent. Authorities are continuing to investigate the incidents, though no immediate threats have been reported.

Earlier, authorities in Bavaria confirmed that up to ten unidentified drones were recently observed flying over Manching Air Base, located near Ingolstadt. The flights occurred on January 12 evening, prompting an investigation by the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (LKA), which has not ruled out espionage as a possible motive, particularly in connection with Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The LKA noted that similar incidents had been reported in December, both at Manching and the nearby Neuburg an der Donau. Investigators suspect that the drones may have been attempting to capture images of military installations.

Manching Air Base is a key site for testing the airworthiness of new aircraft for the German military. On January 13, the Munich Public Prosecutor General's Office took over the investigation into the drone sightings.

This follows a series of similar incidents, including the sighting of drones of unknown origin over Ramstein Air Base, a major US facility in Germany, in December. Authorities are working to determine the motives behind these flights, which have raised concerns over potential surveillance activities.

By Vafa Guliyeva