Germany is preparing to deploy specialized counter-drone police units across nine strategically important cities as part of a broader security plan focused on responding to suspected Russian hybrid attacks, sabotage, cyberattacks and espionage.

According to German media, the Federal Interior Ministry’s plan would establish rapidly deployable federal police units equipped with helicopters and specialized vehicles. The units would operate in Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Leipzig, Hanover and Cologne.

The units would be responsible for protecting airports, railway stations, major transportation hubs, critical infrastructure and Berlin’s government district. Their responsibilities would include detecting and intercepting unauthorized drones, as well as dealing with unmanned aircraft carrying explosives and explosive devices.