Overview

• Temporary shutdowns at Munich airport on Thursday and Friday followed multiple drone sightings, with recent disruptions also reported around Frankfurt as well as at airports in Copenhagen and Oslo.
• Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the government suspects Russia is behind many flights, calling the incidents attempts to test and unsettle Europe, while noting there have been no armed drones detected in Germany so far.
• The Kremlin denied any role through spokesman Dmitry Peskov and President Vladimir Putin, as Dmitry Medvedev escalated rhetoric; NATO allies heightened readiness and continue to investigate the origins of the flights.
• The cabinet plans to take up legal changes this week to clarify authorities under aviation security and policing laws, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt proposes a national counter‑drone center, and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius wants the National Security Council to provide a 24/7, nationwide operating picture.
• Economy Minister Katherina Reiche urged rapid scaling of a domestic drone industry with an emphasis on AI, while reporting highlights persistent gaps in detection, jamming and interceptor capabilities and unresolved police–military jurisdiction issues.