Russian drones are systematically spying on Germany. And more specifically: they are monitoring the route of arms supplies to Ukraine. This is reported by the "New York Times" and "Wirtschaftsvohe".
Russia is systematically spying on the routes of military supplies to Ukraine in Germany and other European countries, the "New York Times" and "Wirtschaftsvohe" report, citing sources from intelligence agencies. "Western services assume that Russia is well informed about who is producing weapons for Ukraine, how important these weapons are, and how many of them there are", writes "Wirtschaftsvohe".
A game of cat and mouse
The American "New York Times" reports that Moscow is using drones to monitor the route of military equipment that Germany is supplying to Ukraine. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that this did not surprise him. The Bundeswehr cannot monitor civilian territory or roads, he explained. "The fact that drones fly over roads and train lines should not surprise us. "But there's not much that can be done to counter it," Pistorius said.
The defense minister stressed that security for military convoys has been beefed up and mentioned that some techniques are being used to intercept drones. "But it's a constant game of cat and mouse in technical terms between the drone developers and us," he said. In this regard, the German foreign ministry said it takes the Russian threat to European security very seriously.
The Kremlin denied the accusations. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, it is "hard to believe that the Germans knew about this and said nothing."
Murder and sabotage
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte declined to comment on the information provided by the "New York Times" and "Wirtschaftsvohe". However, Rutte pointed out that Russia is capable of waging hybrid warfare. "If they consider it necessary, they can even commit assassinations", said the NATO Secretary General. He added that Moscow is also trying to disrupt civil aviation in Germany and the Baltic states.
Russian drones are flying not only along the routes of military equipment sent to Ukraine, journalists report. The NATO base in Geilenkirchen has also been spied on. Representatives of the services in Germany report that the number of drones flying over the military base is in the triple digits. The Bundeswehr has confirmed that there has been an increase in the number of drones detected around military bases since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Change in recent months
After reaching their highest level last year, Russian sabotage activities have significantly decreased in 2025, the "New York Times" reports. According to the American newspaper, this is at least partly the result of concentrated efforts by Europe and the United States to deter such hybrid attacks.
However, the decline in the number of these operations also reflects the movement on the diplomatic front. According to Seth Jones of the Center for Strategic and International Affairs, "it is not unreasonable to assume that the Russians are a little more careful now that some negotiations are taking place".
However, expert Jones warned the American media that if Russia wishes to once again intensify its sabotage and hybrid attacks against the West, it will certainly take advantage of the information gathered from drone flights over military bases and supply routes.