According to prosecutors, a 37-year-old man allegedly flew a drone over the facility on Wednesday and is suspected of “taking photos and videos that are sensitive from a national security perspective.”
It is believed that the suspect planned to hand them over to “some foreign entity or some banned organization.”
According to prosecutors, the police detained the man near an important weapons industry facility after receiving a public report about suspicious activity.
The suspect has been held in custody since the arrest.
Officials from Germany, one of Ukraine’s largest military supporters, have uncovered numerous suspected espionage, sabotage, and disinformation conspiracies related to Russia since 2022, when Moscow launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Several of Germany’s NATO allies in Europe have also made similar accusations against Russia, sometimes calling the covert activity part of a “hybrid war” against the West.
Germany and other European countries have also repeatedly observed cases where drones flew over important facilities such as airports, military bases, and power plants.
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Moscow consistently denies involvement in any such conspiracies.
Several defense industry representatives have divisions in Munich, including the French and German tank manufacturer KNDS, the European aerospace company Airbus Defence and Space, and the defense electronics firm Hensoldt.
This Bavarian city is also home to a cluster of defense startups, such as the drone manufacturer Helsing.
In other cases, German police have detained numerous suspected so-called “one-time” agents recruited to carry out sabotage and espionage for Russia without any formal training, often in exchange for small rewards.
Berlin recently granted the police and military new powers to shoot down illegal drones over German territory if necessary.
This year, lawmakers also passed new rules aimed at strengthening the resilience of critical infrastructure by identifying important facilities and requiring operators to enhance security measures.
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