German intelligence sources report that increased security measures at a NATO airbase in Geilenkirchen, Germany, were prompted by a threat of sabotage from Russia, according to the DPA news agency.
The base announced on 23 August it had elevated its threat level “based on intelligence indicating a potential threat.”
A base representative said the danger level was raised to the second-highest of four alert states, defined as “an incident has occurred or intelligence has been received indicating some form of terrorist action against NATO organizations or personnel is very likely.”
Prosecutors in Flensburg, in Germany’s far north, said they are investigating suspicions of espionage aimed at sabotage without specifying who might be behind it.
German media outlets reported drone sightings over a chemical plant in Brunsbüttel on the North Sea coast. Radio Svoboda suggests these could be Orlan-10-type drones, though this has not been officially confirmed.
The Geilenkirchen base, near the Dutch border, hosts NATO’s Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft. This marks the second recent instance of a NATO AWACS base increasing security. Previously, a military base in Cologne was temporarily closed due to a potential water supply sabotage investigation.
NATO has previously warned of a campaign of hostile actions made by Russia, including sabotage and cyberattacks.
In June, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the Alliance sees a pattern, with recent attacks resulting from increased Russian intelligence activity.
Unknown drones were observed monitoring Ukrainian soldiers during training in Germany. Two German-Russian citizens were arrested earlier this year on suspicion of planning sabotage at a US base in Bavaria.
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