Merz declares Germany no longer lives in peace amid rising infrastructure and cyberattacks

“We are not at war, but we are not living in peace either,” Merz emphasized.

The chancellor said the threats are daily and real. Among them are attacks on data centers, attempts to disable digital infrastructure, drones, and spy operations.

“Drone flights, espionage, the killing in Tirgertanne, mass threats against public figures not only in Germany but in many other European countries. Acts of sabotage, every day. Attempts to paralyze data centers. Cyberattacks,” he said.

Incidents with Unknown Drones in EU Skies

On Sept. 26, several drones were spotted over the northern German region of Schleswig-Holstein, prompting a local investigation.

The region has already experienced several drone-related incidents. In early September, police special units searched a cargo ship on the Kiel Canal that was suspected of serving as a base for drone flights.

On the night of Sept. 23, Copenhagen Airport was forced to suspend operations for several hours due to drones detected in restricted airspace.

On Sept. 23, Norwegian drone publication Dronemagasinet reported that Copenhagen police may have mistaken a training aircraft for a drone over the Danish capital, leading to the airport’s closure.

On the night of Sept. 25, drones were spotted in Denmark flying near military sites. Near Aalborg Airport is a base hosting C-130 Hercules and CL-604 Challenger transport planes. The Aalborg base is also home to the elite Jægerkorps special forces unit, while another base in Skrydstrup, where drones were also reported, houses F-16 fighter jets.

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen described the drone incidents in his country as a “hybrid attack.”

Additionally, over the past weekend, unidentified drones were recorded over the Mourmelon-le-Grand military base in the Marne department of northeastern France.