Drones over power plants: Hesse seeks new criminal offence in Bundesrat
Unauthorised entry into critical facilities and drone flights over them would become crimes. The Bundesrat decides on Hesse's draft law on 16 October.
Graphic: TERRA WORLD NEWS (own graphic based on the sources listed)
On Friday, 16 October, the Bundesrat will decide whether to submit a Hessian bill to better protect critical infrastructure to the Bundestag. Hesse wants to add the offence of "trespass harmful to the public" to the Criminal Code. It would cover unauthorised entry into and presence on critical facilities. Unauthorised drone flights over such facilities would also become punishable.
Which facilities count as critical is defined by the KRITIS umbrella act – for example power plants, airports, railway stations and water treatment plants. Acts preparing an attack or sabotage would carry harsher penalties. No criminal complaint would be needed for prosecution.
The draft cites more than 1,000 reported suspicious drone flights up to December 2025, as well as a 2026 arson attack on a cable bridge that caused a power cut in south-west Berlin. The chamber's lead legal committee and its interior committee recommend submitting the bill to the Bundestag. The initiative was already on the agenda of the session on 25 September.