The police in Frankfurt am Main detained a 41-year-old man suspected of launching a drone near the local airport - the largest in Germany. The police have no confirmation of his connections to Russia.
The police in Frankfurt am Main detained a 41-year-old man suspected of launching a drone over the local airport - the largest in Germany. According to the dpa agency, the incident occurred on Thursday, October 2. According to the tabloid Bild, it happened on the morning of October 3.
The drone was quickly landed in the airport's no-fly zone, so the incident did not lead to delays or cancellations of flights. As Bild reports, the drone was spotted by a police-installed drone detection system. Such aircraft are also often reported by pilots and motorists, the newspaper notes.
According to its information, the detainee is a man of Croatian origin. An administrative offense case has been opened against him, and he faces a fine. A police representative told dpa that there is no confirmation of his connections to Russia. According to the law enforcement officer, recently, illegal photographs have often been taken over prisons, airports, and military bases using cheap civilian drones.
Drones at Munich Airport
This is not the first incident involving drones at German airports in recent days. On the evenings of October 2 and 3, Munich Airport - the second largest in Germany - had to suspend operations due to the appearance of unidentified drones. Moreover, these were military reconnaissance drones, Bild reports, citing a secret police report.
Due to the appearance of drones, flights were canceled, redirected to other cities, and postponed. As a result, the plans of about 3,000 passengers were disrupted on the first day, and hundreds had to spend the night on cots in the terminals. On the second day, the incident affected the plans of nearly 6,500 passengers. Folding beds were also set up for them, and they were provided with blankets, drinks, and snacks. The situation was complicated by the increased passenger flow caused by the ongoing Oktoberfest in Munich.
The German representation at NATO reported that specialists from the Bundeswehr were called in to enhance the protection of Munich Airport from drones.
Incidents with Unidentified Drones in Europe Have Increased
In recent weeks, drones have been spotted over airports and critical infrastructure in several European countries. They were seen over the city of Kiel in northern Germany, over the Karlskrona archipelago, which houses Sweden's largest naval base, and over military facilities in Oslo. At the Rosvoll Airport in Mu-i-Rana (Norway), three German citizens were detained for illegal drone use, writes the Norwegian newspaper Helgelendingen.
Additionally, due to the appearance of drones, air traffic had to be suspended at Copenhagen Airport and in the city of Aalborg in northern Denmark. Against the backdrop of these episodes and other similar cases, the country's intelligence services stated that Russia is conducting a hybrid war against the West.
However, there is no evidence that Russia is behind the launch of drones over Europe. The country's president, Vladimir Putin, rejected such accusations. According to him, there are no targets for Russian drones in European cities. He called the accusations against the Russian Federation a way to escalate the situation and increase defense spending.
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