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Russia Launches Recon Drones Over German Supply Routes to Track US Weapons to Ukraine
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Russia or its operatives have been launching reconnaissance drones over transport routes in eastern Germany used by the United States and its allies to deliver military cargo to Ukraine, The New York Times reported on August 28, citing American and other Western officials.
According to the officials, the drones are gathering intelligence that could be used to support the Kremlin’s sabotage campaign and aid Russian forces on the battlefield. The activity has raised growing concerns among US and European military officials about Moscow’s ability to undermine Western supply lines.
American and German authorities have already discussed Russian sabotage operations, including intelligence that led to the arrest in May of three Ukrainian nationals accused of conspiring with Russia. The sabotage campaign has previously been linked to warehouse fires in the United Kingdom, an attack on a dam in Norway, attempts to cut undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, and other disruptive actions.
Western intelligence services note that after reaching a peak last year, the number of Russian sabotage incidents in Europe has declined significantly in 2025. Analysts attribute this reduction to enhanced security measures and stronger preventive efforts by US and European intelligence agencies.
According to The New Your Times, sources confirmed that US intelligence had warned European governments of potential plots, including a scheme to load explosive or incendiary devices onto cargo planes flying over Germany. This alert led to the arrests of three Ukrainian citizens in Germany and Switzerland.
German prosecutors later stated the plan was likely part of a broader conspiracy to damage commercial cargo infrastructure. The packages were addressed to locations in Ukraine, but investigators remain uncertain whether those were the intended targets or whether the devices were meant to detonate mid-flight over Germany.
Despite tighter scrutiny of Russian espionage, Western officials warn that Moscow retains the ability to recruit individuals across Europe for sabotage missions.
Seth Jones, president of the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, described the drone flights over supply routes as “straight-up espionage,” noting that Russia is attempting to identify which companies are producing weapons for Ukraine and how those arms are being transported through Poland and into Ukraine.
American officials confirmed the drone activity but said they have not been able to trace its origin. They believe the flights are being conducted either directly by Russian operatives or by individuals working for Russian intelligence services.
He explained that the drone surveillance was most likely tied to battlefield intelligence, aimed at giving the Russian military a clearer understanding of what weaponry it might encounter and when, The New York Times reported.
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However, Mr. Jones and other Western officials cautioned that if Russia chose to escalate its sabotage operations in the future, it could exploit the data gathered from these drone flights.
“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,” Mr. Jones said. “It would be useful if they wanted to conduct sabotage or subversive operations.”
Earlier, it was reported that Germany delivered another significant package of military aid to Ukraine, including air defense systems, tanks, and armored vehicles. The update was published in the “provided aid” section of the German government’s official website.
