Germany to Have Right to Destroy Drones Incursions into Airspace

The German police will have the authority to destroy drones that disrupt the operations of the country’s airports, Reuters reports. The new law, which the government has adopted and is now awaiting parliamentary approval, empowers law enforcement to intercept drones that violate German airspace, including shooting them down in case of serious threats.

“Incidents involving drones pose a threat to our security. We will not allow this. We are expanding the powers of the Federal Police so that drones can be detected more quickly in the future,” said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in a post on the X social media platform.

The new law follows an incident last Friday at Munich Airport, Germany's second largest, where dozens of flights were canceled, leaving more than 10,000 passengers stranded. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen classified the presence of drones in EU airspace as a hybrid warfare tactic employed by Russia.