The German government is planning to establish a no-fly zone over temporary radioactive waste storage facilities amid an increase in sightings of unidentified drones, according to NDR.
“Modern technological developments in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles and the associated potential change in threat levels pose new challenges for authorities,“ said a spokesman for Germany's Environment Ministry, which is responsible for nuclear safety. The no-fly zone, as NDR explains, will be introduced over Germany's central temporary storage facilities for radioactive waste: Lubmin in northeastern Germany and Gorleben and Ahaus in the west.
The ban is expected to come into effect on March 19, 2026. The zone covers a diameter of 1.5 kilometers and an altitude of approximately 600 meters above the temporary storage facilities. Until now, the no-fly zone was only in force over nuclear power plants. It was introduced after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The German Environment Ministry said that the federal and state governments are unanimous in their opinion that it is currently crucial to provide adapted protection for temporary storage facilities against air attacks, NDR reports.
For the past three years, unknown drones have been spotted over Energiewerke Nord's Nord waste storage facility in Lubmin, which houses 74 Castor containers containing highly radioactive waste. Along with the amateur drones, NDR claims that professional unmanned aerial vehicles used to monitor the site may have been stationed there.
Drone overflights have disrupted civilian facilities in Germany several times in recent months. According to Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, swarms of drones were spotted in the skies over Schleswig-Holstein on the night of September 26. On October 3, Munich Airport suspended operations due to the sighting of several drones. As reported by the newspaper “Bild“, on the same day, the Federal Police's airspace detection system detected an airspace violation in the western part of Frankfurt Airport.