Suspicious drones spotted over German base where Patriot systems are repaired
According to the journalists, employees of a private security company recorded a total of six drone flights over the site between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. A confidential police report also states that local police officers observed at least one flight. One of the drones reportedly circled directly above the officers for some time.
Bundeswehr military police also observed the incident from a distance of about 40 meters. Their preliminary assessment was that the aircraft was a Fly-380 VTOL drone. The drone has a wingspan of about 3.8 meters, a range of up to 400 kilometers, can reach speeds of up to 150 km/h, and carry more than 10 kg of payload.
At the same time, the Bundeswehr's Operational Command officially confirmed only two drone flights to journalists. It remains unknown who was behind the flights. According to Tagesschau, the investigation found no indications that the drone was a surveying aircraft that had accidentally deviated from its route.
The site in Mechernich is of particular importance to the Bundeswehr. An underground complex located about 130 meters below ground contains a protected storage facility covering around 30,000 square meters, where equipment and spare parts for military vehicles are stored. Specialists who maintain and repair Patriot systems also work there. The Bundeswehr informally refers to the site as the "Patriot workshop." According to the journalists, it is likely the only facility of its kind in Europe.
As previously reported, suspicious drone flights over military facilities in Germany are detected regularly, including over naval bases and sites where Ukrainian troops have received training. German security authorities suspect that some of these incidents may involve Russian state structures or so-called one-off agents recruited by them, with the possible aim of conducting reconnaissance of military and critical infrastructure, including in preparation for potential acts of sabotage.
On the night of August 5, operations at Leipzig Airport in Germany, an important logistics hub for transporting Western aid to Ukraine, were suspended after a drone was detected near a Ukrainian transport aircraft.
US intelligence has linked the drone to Russia.
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9 of August 2026
