The German military is unable to intercept unidentified drones over key sites, due to gaps in capabilities and risks to civilian air traffic, according to reports. The newspaper highlighted the “sobering and hardly reassuring” conclusions, attributing vulnerabilities to the 2010 abolition of air defenses, when Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns were retired as short-range air defense was shifted from the army to the air force during structural reforms. This left the army with limited options for countering low-flying threats.

Germany still operates ground-based systems like US-made Patriot long-range missiles, MANTIS close-range stationary guns, and Ozelot launchers firing Stinger missiles from Wiesel 2 armored vehicles. However, defense experts have long warned of insufficient short-range capabilities. Recent weeks saw brightly lit mystery drones reported over multiple European countries, including Germany, with their origin unidentified. Some officials speculated Russia’s involvement, while Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelenskiy condemned the alleged use of foreign-flagged oil tankers as a “Russian shadow fleet.”

Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service denied these claims, accusing Ukraine of staging drone provocations and alleging a recent incursion into Polish airspace was a Ukrainian false-flag operation. European leaders convened in Copenhagen to discuss a proposed “drone wall” but made little progress, citing challenges in intercepting drones near civilian air routes.