A possible Russian drone flyover last week prompted a NATO military base in western Germany to briefly raise its security level, media in the country reported Monday, citing anonymous security sources.
The Western military bloc on Friday said it elevated and then lowered the security level at Geilenkirchen Air Base due to an unspecified “potential threat.” Germany, a key ally of Ukraine, has been on high alert for possible sabotage and attacks on military facilities in recent months.
NATO has used Geilenkirchen since 1980, serving as a base for its AWACS reconnaissance aircraft.
German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur, citing German security sources, reported that the security level at the air base was temporarily elevated over “intelligence findings indicating potential Russian sabotage using a drone.”
However, Geilenkirchen spokesperson Christian Brett dismissed the notion of drone flyovers as “absurd” in a statement on Friday.
Reuters on Monday cited a NATO spokesperson at Geilenkirchen who clarified that “the word Russia was never mentioned.”
“We discussed a threat caused by drones,” the unnamed NATO spokesperson was quoted as saying.
There have been no official statements regarding a specific Russian threat at the base. Moscow has repeatedly denied allegations of sabotage against Western nations supporting Ukraine’s defense against Moscow’s invasion.
Earlier in April, investigators arrested two German-Russian men suspected of spying for Russia and plotting attacks in Germany — including on U.S. military facilities — in an attempt to undermine support for Ukraine.
AFP contributed reporting.
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