Germany to allow police to shoot down drones

Germany will grant police the power to shoot down rogue drones like those that have disrupted airports across Europe and that some European leaders have attributed to a hybrid war being waged by Russia

Germany will grant police the power to shoot down rogue drones like those that have disrupted airports across Europe and that some European leaders have attributed to a hybrid war being waged by Russia.

The new law, agreed by the cabinet on Wednesday and awaiting parliamentary approval, explicitly authorises the police to down drones violating Germany's airspace, including shooting them down in cases of acute threat or serious harm.

Other techniques available to down drones include using lasers or jamming signals to sever control and navigation links.

"Drone incidents threaten our security," Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a post on social media platform X.

"We will not permit that. We are strengthening the Federal Police's powers so that drones can be detected and countered more quickly in future."