Germany is preparing a comprehensive package of domestic security measures to counter Russian sabotage, cyberattacks, and hybrid threats following an attempted explosive drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, Bild reported.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced that Berlin is planning robust countermeasures covering drone defense, the protection of critical infrastructure, cyber resilience, and enhanced surveillance to detect spies and potential terrorists.
“Russia’s hybrid attacks using explosive drones against airports, agents in our cities, cyberattacks on our networks, and sabotage of our infrastructure are a daily reality,” Dobrindt said. “These attacks will intensify, but we can fight back and defend ourselves.”
Under the proposal, Germany will expand the Federal Police’s mobile anti-drone capabilities. Rapid-reaction units equipped with specialized vehicles and helicopters will be stationed across nine key cities: Frankfurt am Main, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Leipzig, Hanover, and Cologne.
Their operational remit will cover the protection of airspace over key transit hubs, airports, major railway stations, and the government quarter in Berlin, with the technical ability to intercept and neutralize explosive-laden drones.
The plan also grants critical infrastructure operators – including water utilities, energy companies, and defense manufacturing plants – expanded legal authority to actively counter and neutralize unauthorized drones without waiting for state law enforcement to arrive.
Additionally, Berlin intends to deploy artificial intelligence tools, biometric facial recognition, and automated video surveillance at transport hubs to detect weapons, identify suspicious conduct, and track individuals suspected of espionage.
To guard against digital intrusion, Germany plans to establish a national “Cyberdome,” a distributed digital sensor network designed to detect and block coordinated cyberattacks.
Baltic shadow fleet pressure and rising sabotage wave
The domestic security initiative coincides with broader efforts by Berlin to apply economic and regulatory pressure against Moscow following the Aug. 4 drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Interior Minister Dobrindt publicly attributed responsibility for the airport attack directly to the Russian state, a stance endorsed across governing coalition parties. Siemtje Möller, foreign policy spokesperson for the Social Democratic Party (SPD) parliamentary group, affirmed that directly naming Russia was the correct course of action.
According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), German authorities are evaluating punitive measures targeting Russia’s maritime “shadow fleet” in the Baltic Sea. Officials are exploring stricter administrative, inspection, and legal mechanisms to impede or halt the transit of tankers used by Moscow to circumvent international sanctions.
The heightened security alerts follow a confidential assessment by Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), which recorded 165 suspected sabotage cases, 24 espionage investigations, and 747 suspicious drone flights nationwide during the first eight months of 2026.