US and European officials say Russian surveillance drones are being flown over key military supply routes in eastern Germany, gathering intelligence that could help Moscow's sabotage efforts in its war in Ukraine. The activity along routes used by the US and its allies, described as "straight-up espionage" by military experts, has heightened security concerns among NATO members, especially as evidence emerges of a broader Russian sabotage campaign across Europe, the New York Times reports.
Recent incidents connected to Russian or Russia-backed actors have included arson at warehouses in Britain, attacks on a dam in Norway, and attempts to damage undersea cables. While such operations surged last year, Western intelligence officials report a sharp decline in the first half of 2025, attributing it to tighter security and greater scrutiny across Europe, as well as ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Many of the drone flights have been observed over military routes in Thuringia, Germany, the Times reports. While the drones' precise origins remain unclear, some are believed to be Iranian-made and possibly launched from ships in the Baltic Sea. Center for Strategic and International Studies researcher Seth Jones says Russia appears to be monitoring supply routes to get a better idea of what weaponry its military is likely to face, but the information could also help sabotage operations. "If at some point the Russians wanted to get more aggressive and forward leaning with that kind of intelligence collection, they know what companies are exporting and what routes are being used," he says.
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the Times report on Thursday, reports Reuters. "The Germans would have seen it clearly, and they would hardly have kept quiet," he said. "So, of course, all this looks more like another newspaper fake."
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