Covestro, Holcim help German investigators after drone flights over plants

GDANSK/BERLIN (Reuters) – Covestro and Holcim (SIX:) are providing support to German authorities investigating drone flights over industrial plants in northern Germany, the companies said on Friday, after a probe was opened on suspicion of espionage activity.

Prosecutors on Thursday opened an investigation into repeated drone flights over critical infrastructure in the region on suspicion of espionage activity for sabotage purposes.

The two firms have operations in the ChemCoast Park industrial area in Brunsbuettel in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein, which houses plants for companies active in the chemical, energy and logistics sectors.

“At the request of the authorities, we are providing support in their investigations,” German chemical maker Covestro said in an emailed response to Reuters.

Swiss cement manufacturer Holcim said it was in close dialogue with the authorities and had not taken any further measures.

The prosecutor’s office, criminal and local police did not reply to requests for an update on the investigation on Friday.

The Bild newspaper on Thursday cited state criminal police as saying the drones in question were likely to have been Russian Orlan-10s, which have a range of 500-600 kilometres and can fly over 100 kilometres per hour.

Germany, one of Ukraine’s biggest suppliers of military aid since Russia’s invasion in 2022, has been on increased alert over sabotage activity, recently sealing off a military base on suspicions of contaminated tap water that turned out to be false.

In April, two German-Russian nationals were arrested on suspicion of plotting sabotage attacks, in what officials called a serious effort to undermine military support for Ukraine.