Report: Cargo Ships Searched After Incidents with Unidentified Drones
The unexplained sightings of drones continue to rise with the latest reports coming from Dutch and German news outlets recounting how authorities recently searched two Russian-crewed cargo ships suspected of launching drones in the North Sea area. No evidence was found but the speculation continues that it could be the latest spying effort or a new form of hybrid warfare.
Drones have drawn attention in many places around the globe. Last year, there were nightly reports of unidentified drones in the Northeastern United States that drew extensive media coverage but were never explained. The Dutch news outlet Pointer (KRO-NCRV) and German news magazine Der Spiegel recount similar stories saying German law enforcement agencies have been seeing an increase in drone sightings over critical infrastructure such as ports, chemical facilities, and military installations. The Dutch Coast Guard also told Pointer that it was aware of unidentified drones being spotted at sea.
Two instances are being reported that happened in May 2025. In the first instance, it says drones were spotted near a military site near Kiel, Germany. Ten days later, Der Spiegel says the German patrol ship Potsdam reported it was being followed by a drone for three hours until just before it reached Dutch waters.
Around the same time the drone was spotted in Kiel, Pointer says German authorities identified a small cargo ship, HAV Dolphin (3,000 dwt) behaving suspiciously off the coast of Kiel. The vessel, which was built in 1993 and is registered in Antigua and Barbuda, Pointer reports had previously spent a month in the Russian port of Kaliningrad. It contends the vessel was spotted operating at times without its AIS signal.
According to the report, the authorities detained and searched the vessel when it reached the Volkerak locks. They report the inspectors did not find drones aboard the vessel.
The patrol ship BP 81 Potsdam was tracking a Russian freighter Lauga (3,200 dwt) in the North Sea reports Der Spiegel when it counted seven drones overhead tracking itself and the cargo ship. Because it was night, they could not identify the drones or where they were coming from. Lauga the news outlets highlight was used by Russia in Syria possibly carrying military cargo and has also operated at times without an AIS signal.
Der Spiegel says that the Federal Police asked Belgian authorities to inspect the freighter at its destination port. However, again the inspection found no evidence of drones on board.
Pointer reports the German authorities have informed European law enforcement agencies about both the incidents. Both outlets say that the police and other authorities do not have the resources to properly track and identify drones.
The drone sightings come as Northern Europe remains on alert after the incidents with vessels dragging anchors in the Baltic and damaging undersea cables. Russia has consistently denied involvement or knowledge of these incidents and points to the damage to its Nord Stream 2 pipeline which it claims the West refused to investigate. NATO and the Scandinavian and Baltic countries have increased monitoring and surveillance leading to tensions in the region.