NATO ally confirms new mystery drone swarm, critical sites targeted: Report

A drone swarm that flew over Germany’s Schleswig-Holstein state deliberately surveyed the NATO ally’s critical infrastructure, including a power plant and a naval facility, according to a report by Der Spiegel, which cited an internal government memo.

Sabine Sütterlin-Waack, the state’s interior minister, confirmed that drones were seen flying above Schleswig-Holstein overnight into Friday, September 26, and that the incident is under investigation for potential sabotage or espionage.

“Among other things, due to the recent incidents in Denmark and other European countries, Schleswig-Holstein is in intensive and ongoing coordination with the federal government and the Bundeswehr,” Sütterlin-Waack said, Der Tagesspiegel reported.

It comes as NATO’s Denmark probes a wave of drone disruption to its airports that officials have characterized as a hybrid attack, and coincides with Estonian, Polish, and Romanian accusations against Russia of serious airspace incursions.

“We also still don’t know exactly where they are really coming from,” said Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the drones over Denmark and Germany, per Der Tagesspiegel. “The suspicion is that they come from Russia.”

Russia has called the accusations unfounded.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.