German intelligence services found a connection between Russian vessels and drones over military bases.

According to ТСН: Unknown drones flying over Germany are likely linked to cargo ships associated with Russia.

Investigation

This information was obtained as a result of an investigation conducted by German media Bild and Welt in collaboration with Axel Springer Academy. According to secret reports from German authorities available to investigators, over a thousand incidents involving unidentified drones have been recorded since the beginning of 2025, often flying in groups, primarily in the evening.

Areas of activity

Drones frequently appeared over military facilities of the Bundeswehr, NATO, and other critical infrastructure. An analysis of the navigational tracks of ships present in the drone activity areas indicates possible connections to Russia.

For instance, the appearance of seven drones on May 16 coincided with the routing of the Russian cargo ship Lauga, which had previously been in the Syrian port of Tartus, where a large military base is located. After this, the vessel headed to St. Petersburg, to a terminal associated with Rosatom, which reportedly has its own drones.

Ships under suspicion

The investigation also included the ships HAV Snapper and HAV Dolphin, which are formally owned by a Norwegian company but have repeatedly been serviced at the Pregol shipyard in Kaliningrad, linked to Russian military structures. Movements of these vessels near Germany were accompanied by the appearance of drones over the Kiel Bay, where ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and other military facilities are located.

The crew of HAV Dolphin was entirely Russian. European intelligence services, responding to journalists' inquiries, confirmed that they consider HAV Snapper and HAV Dolphin to be vessels likely acting in favor of Russia.

Mass drone flights

Previously, mass coordinated flights of unidentified drones over strategic sites, such as oil refineries and military bases, had been recorded in northern Germany. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested that Russia may be involved in these drone flights.

Moreover, recently in the Netherlands, the military had to use weapons against drones spotted over an airbase in the southeast of the country. This indicates an increasing activity of drones in Europe, raising concerns in many countries.