Russian operatives are launching reconnaissance drones over transport routes in eastern Germany used to deliver military cargo to Ukraine, The New York Times reported Thursday, citing American and Western officials.
The suspected surveillance in the German state of Thuringia has raised concerns among U.S. and European military officials about Moscow’s ability to undermine Western supply lines and gather intelligence for sabotage operations. Some unmanned aircraft were manufactured in Iran, German publication WirtschaftsWoche reported.
German intelligence believes some drones may have launched from Baltic Sea vessels, the German outlet said. A German military spokesperson confirmed to WirtschaftsWoche that drone flights near bases present security risks.
The suspected goal is determining which companies produce weapons for Ukraine and how they are delivered, U.S. officials told the Times.
Seth Jones of the Center for Strategic and International Studies called the flights “straight-up espionage,” saying Russia seeks to identify weapons producers and transportation routes through Poland into Ukraine.
Asked about the New York Times report, Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, told Reuters the Kremlin had not had time to read the story closely. “But it’s hard to imagine, because then the Germans would have seen it clearly, and they would hardly have kept quiet. So, of course, all this looks more like another newspaper fake,” he said.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said drone flights over ports and railways should not surprise anyone. “However, there is not much that can be done about it,” he said.
American and German authorities have reportedly discussed Russian sabotage operations, including intelligence leading to May arrests of three Ukrainian nationals accused of conspiring with Russia. Previous sabotage included warehouse fires in Britain, a dam cyber attack in Norway, and attempts to cut Baltic Sea cables.
