(de-news.net) – Following an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport and suspected power substation sabotage, Germany is taking steps to bolster security of vital infrastructure. Increased drone defenses, a national cyber-defense network, more authority to secure infrastructure, and improved collaboration between federal states and operators are some of the proposed measures.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) is preparing a comprehensive security framework aimed at thwarting future hybrid attacks attributed to Russia, following an unsuccessful explosive-drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport. The proposed measures reflect a broader effort to address a range of threats affecting Germany’s security environment, including cyberattacks, infrastructure sabotage, explosive drones and agents operating in German cities.
A central component of the framework would be the deployment of quickly movable security units in strategically significant cities, including Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Leipzig, Hannover and Cologne. According to the Federal Interior Ministry, the units would provide continuous protection against drones over critical transportation hubs, airports, train stations and Berlin’s government district. Their responsibilities would extend beyond detecting and intercepting drones to include the neutralization of drone-borne explosives, adding a further layer to protection at locations considered particularly vulnerable.
The proposed expansion would also shift part of the responsibility for drone defense beyond federal authorities and other public agencies. Operators of critical infrastructure, including defense companies, electricity suppliers and water utilities, are expected to receive broader legal powers to respond actively to drones rather than being limited primarily to detecting them. At the same time, the government is considering a national cyber-defense system known as a ‘Cyberdome.’ The proposed system would consist of interconnected digital sensors designed to detect and intercept attempted cyberattacks, against a backdrop of the numerous attacks directed at businesses and public authorities on a daily basis.
Political demands for stronger safeguards have intensified following the recent sabotage of electrical substations. Günter Krings, deputy chairman of the CDU parliamentary group, described the attacks on the power grid as having a terrorist dimension and endorsed Dobrindt’s assessment that climate extremism represented a security threat. Krings argued that existing criminal laws intended to protect Germany’s constitutional and democratic order should be applied consistently, underscoring the growing political focus on treating attacks against critical infrastructure as a serious security issue.
Investigations remain underway after homemade explosive devices were discovered in connection with attempted attacks on Saxony’s electricity network. The Dresden Public Prosecutor General’s Office said 12 devices had been found in the Bautzen and Görlitz districts. Authorities are examining whether the discoveries are connected to similar findings in Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia. Police have released photographs of a 48-year-old suspect from Gevelsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, as investigators seek information about his whereabouts and other potentially relevant leads, including information submitted through an online reporting portal.
Amprion urges legal changes to strengthen infrastructure security
Cem Özdemir (Greens), the Baden-Württemberg Minister President, has likewise called for faster action and closer cooperation among Germany’s federal states to strengthen protection of security-critical infrastructure. His appeal follows both the attacks on substations and the narrowly unsuccessful drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport. Özdemir argued that Germany’s vulnerability had become more apparent as the security environment had changed dramatically, regardless of whether an attack originated with Russian agents or left-wing extremists. The recent incidents, he said, demonstrated the need for stronger protection through measures such as physical barriers and surveillance systems, while also emphasizing the importance of preventing such threats from creating a broader atmosphere of insecurity.
Özdemir also pointed to a comparable incident at a substation in Reutlingen in early June. A fire there temporarily disrupted electricity supplies to approximately 7,600 households, providing a recent example of how incidents affecting critical infrastructure can have immediate consequences for communities. For Özdemir, the episode reinforced the need for Germany’s federal states to give infrastructure protection a higher priority and to coordinate their responses more closely.
Meanwhile, Christoph Müller, CEO of Amprion, has called for greater legal flexibility for companies responsible for critical infrastructure so they can strengthen their own defenses. Müller argued that broad public-disclosure requirements concerning electricity and gas networks should be reconsidered because making extensive information about such systems publicly available could inadvertently provide potential attackers with useful information. From his perspective, the issue involves balancing transparency requirements against the security needs of infrastructure that could become targets for sabotage.
Müller has also advocated greater freedom to use drones and video surveillance. He argued that drones could be deployed routinely to inspect power lines, while surveillance could be extended beyond the immediate boundaries of critical facilities. Existing data-protection restrictions, he said, largely limit operators to monitoring their own property, making it more difficult to observe surrounding areas that could be relevant to security. Greater authority in these areas, he maintained, would allow infrastructure operators to identify potential threats earlier and strengthen preventive protection.
Müller said Amprion is preparing for the possibility of further attacks of a similar nature. The company has increased operational vigilance and adjusted procedures when risks are elevated, including postponing maintenance work and maintaining larger security margins. These preparations are intended to ensure that the electricity network can continue operating even when external threats increase. Müller acknowledged that complete protection against attacks cannot be guaranteed. He nevertheless maintained that the company’s priority must be to ensure that it can respond effectively to emerging threats and that its personnel remain prepared for rapid intervention. In that sense, the recent incidents have reinforced an operational approach in which preparedness and resilience are treated as essential elements of infrastructure security.
