The Kremlin on Thursday dismissed a report that Russia or its proxies have used drones to monitor U.S. and allied weapons shipments moving through eastern Germany.
U.S. officials told The New York Times they suspect Russia or operatives working for its intelligence services of flying drones over supply routes in the German state of Thuringia.
Defense analysts suggest Moscow may be seeking details on arms manufacturers and logistics for deliveries into Ukraine via Poland, information that could aid potential sabotage operations in Europe, the newspaper said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that he had not seen the report but rejected it outright.
“It’s hard to imagine, since the Germans would have clearly noticed and hardly stayed silent. This sounds more like another false newspaper report,” Peskov said.
A spokesman for Germany’s armed forces told the business magazine Wirtschaftswoche that Berlin considered the alleged drone flights a “considerable security risk,” prompting the deployment of anti-drone systems at bases in the region.
German intelligence officials reportedly believe some of the drones may have been manufactured in Iran and launched from ships in the Baltic Sea, which borders northwestern Russia. U.S. officials confirmed the flights but said they could not determine their origin.
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