German Interior Minister warns of ‘hybrid warfare’ threats
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has stated that the country is subjected to daily foreign attacks as part of what he describes as 'hybrid warfare'. Following the discovery of an explosive-laden drone at Leipzig Airport in eastern Germany, he announced new measures to counter these threats. Speaking to the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, Dobrindt claimed that foreign forces are attempting to exert political and social pressure on Germany by inciting fear. He did not identify the specific actors behind these incidents. The minister stated that while Germany is not in a state of war, it faces hybrid warfare daily, noting that espionage, sabotage, cyberattacks, and covert operations by foreign forces aimed at destabilising the country or causing direct harm are undeniable realities. Last Wednesday, German authorities discovered and destroyed a drone equipped with explosives and a detonator near a Ukrainian transport aircraft at Leipzig Airport. The incident led to airport disruptions and the implementation of heightened security measures. Concurrently, a DHL cargo plane reportedly struck a small, unidentified object, suspected to be another drone. On Saturday, the German military also reported that two drones were detected over a military base in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia late Thursday. While some German lawmakers have blamed Russia for these events, the Russian Embassy in Berlin has rejected the accusations, labelling the Leipzig Airport incident a 'staged provocation' and claiming it is another example of Russia being accused without evidence. To address these growing threats, Dobrindt announced an expansion of drone security research. He stated that Germany will open a new drone security research centre on 18 August at an airport belonging to the German Aerospace Centre in the east of the country. He noted that the 'arms race in drone technology' requires specialised research units to keep pace with developments. The centre is intended to develop and test drone detection and counter-measures, while bringing researchers together with security agencies to address technological and security innovation needs.