Mysterious Drones Ground Flights at Munich Airport, Germany’s Second-Largest
Mysterious drones grounded at least 17 flights last week at Munich Airport, Germany’s second-largest, causing chaos for thousands of passengers. This followed a temporary closure of several airports in Denmark for the same reason. German police stated they were unable to intercept the drones or apprehend their pilots, deepening the mystery of their origins.
Drone Sightings Spread Across Europe
In Denmark, drones were spotted over an air force base housing F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, sparking concerns across European capitals. Last week, the drone drama also spread to Belgium, home to NATO and EU headquarters in Brussels, as the Belgian Defence Ministry reported overnight sightings of drones over the Elsenborn military base.
Pattern Emerges Across Europe
These incursions seemed to follow a pattern when Poland, Estonia, and Romania, all NATO members, reported similar drone activity in their airspace last month. While these countries blamed Russia, the Kremlin has denied any involvement. Despite Poland and Romania bordering Ukraine, and Estonia sharing a border with Russia, countries like Germany, Denmark, and Belgium are much further from both Russia and Ukraine.
Kaliningrad: The Key to Unraveling the Mystery
“Look at the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad on a map,” Edward Erickson, an American military analyst, tells TRT World, referring to the strategic Baltic coastal area, which is a Russian territory without any land connection to Moscow. He points out that all the states with recent drone sightings are near this Russian enclave, once the well-known East Prussian Baltic port city of Konigsberg, before the Russian takeover from Nazi Germany at the end of WWII.
Kaliningrad’s Strategic Importance
Kaliningrad has the Baltic Sea’s only ice-free port all year round, as it also hosts Russia’s Baltic fleet, being positioned as the westernmost territory of Moscow, close to the heart of Europe. According to reports, Russia has also deployed nuclear-capable strategic missiles in the region, which is close to states like Germany and Denmark.
False Flag Operations or Russian Hybrid Tactics?
Sergei Markov, a Russian academic and a former adviser to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, agrees on the strategic importance of the Baltic region. Moscow is using the Baltic Sea to transport its oil and gas because it can not use the Black Sea, where Ukrainian sea drones target Russian shadow fleet vessels, Markov says. Overall, the Baltic Sea trade plays a crucial role in sustaining the Russian economy, according to Markov.
Original Article: Decoding the mystery of drones over Europe: False flag ops or Russian hybrid tactics? — Trtworld