Drone wreckage found in Germany near military airbase

Wreckage of a crashed unmanned aerial vehicle has been discovered in Germany near Hanover. Fragments of the drone were found close to Lake Steinhuder, with police first receiving reports about the find on Monday, September 14.

Police are continuing to search for additional debris, a task complicated by the large, sparsely populated area that must be searched. The news was reported by the outlet Meduza, citing German broadcaster NDR.

Close to a military base

According to the newspaper Bild, the site where the drone came down lies only about a kilometer from the Wunstorf military airbase, home to German Air Force A400M military transport aircraft.

The identity of the drone's owner has not yet been established. Police are also trying to determine why the unmanned aircraft ended up in that particular area.

Previous incidents in Germany

This is not the first time suspicious drone activity has been recorded near sensitive sites in Germany. In August 2026, a drone with explosives attached to it was found at Leipzig Airport. The device was located near a Ukrainian An-124 transport aircraft that was carrying ammunition. It later emerged that several drones had been involved.

On September 1 this year, German authorities officially accused Russia of attempting to carry out sabotage at the airport. Moscow denies the accusations.