Moldovan man held in Germany over alleged drone spying at Munich defence site

German prosecutors said a 37-year-old Moldovan man has been arrested on suspicion of espionage after allegedly flying a drone over a defence contractor's facility in Munich.

The Munich public prosecutor's office said Friday that the man allegedly flew the drone over the facility on Wednesday and is suspected of taking photographs and video recordings considered sensitive from a national security perspective.

Prosecutors said they suspect the man planned to pass the images to a foreign entity or a banned organisation. Police arrested him near the weapons industry site after receiving a public tip about suspicious activity. He has been in custody since the arrest.

The source did not identify the facility. Several defence industry companies have sites in Munich, including the Franco-German tank manufacturer KNDS, Airbus Defence and Space, and defence electronics specialist Hensoldt. The city also has defence start-ups, including drone maker Helsing.

German authorities have uncovered numerous suspected espionage, sabotage and disinformation plots tied to Russia since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Several European NATO allies have made similar accusations against Russia and have sometimes described the covert activity as part of a hybrid war against the West. Moscow has routinely denied being behind such plots.

Germany and other European countries have also repeatedly observed drones over sensitive sites including airports, military bases and power plants. German police have arrested a number of alleged disposable agents, described as people recruited to conduct sabotage or espionage without formal training for Russia, often for small payments.

Berlin recently gave police and the military new powers that could allow them to shoot down unauthorised drones inside German territory. Lawmakers also passed rules this year aimed at strengthening the resilience of critical infrastructure by identifying sensitive facilities and requiring operators to improve security measures.