Germany joins effort across Europe to allow police to shoot down drone, amid flight disruptions

Germany will let police shoot down drones after airplane flights were disrupted by them last week.

On Wednesday, the German cabinet agreed to the new law, which is now awaiting parliamentary approval, Reuters reported. The law will authorize police to down drones that are violating Germany's airspace, including shooting them down when they pose an acute threat or serious harm.

The law follows dozens of flights that were diverted or canceled on Friday at Munich Airport, leaving more than 10,000 passengers stranded, after rogue drones were sighted.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he assumed Russia was behind many of the drones flying over Germany last week, but none were armed and instead on reconnaissance flights.

Germany's law follows other European countries – including the United Kingdom, France, Lithuania, and Romania – that have recently given their security forces powers to down drones violating their airspace.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said that a dedicated counter-drone unit will be created within the federal police, and researchers would consult with Israel and Ukraine, which are more advanced in drone technology.

He added that police would deal with drones flying at around tree-level, whereas the military would take care of more powerful drones.

Between January and the end of September, Germany recorded 172 drone-related disruptions to air traffic, up from 129 during the same period last year and 121 in 2023, according to data from Deutsche Flugsicherung.