Seven drones are flying toward the Gösgen nuclear power plant—police are investigating

Here's what it's all about

• Several drones were spotted near the Gösgen nuclear power plant on Sunday evening, prompting a police response.
• Authorities are now investigating how many drones were actually in the air and who was flying them.
• The power plant emphasizes that nuclear safety was never compromised. However, this incident is the latest in a series of similar incidents involving critical infrastructure.

Summary created with

Several drones triggered a police operation at the Gösgen nuclear power plant on Sunday evening. Around 10:30 p.m., a resident reported seeing at least seven drones flying toward the power plant.

The Solothurn Cantonal Police confirmed the incident to SRF. Investigations are currently underway to determine how many drones were actually in the air and what flight paths they took. To this end, the police are in contact with the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA), Fedpol, and neighboring cantons, among others.

According to the Gösgen Nuclear Power Plant, the safety of the facility was not compromised at any time. Although security at the site was stepped up following the incident, the power plant is not commenting on specific drone defense measures for security reasons.

"We currently consider the threat posed by drones to be negligible in terms of nuclear safety," says Max Brugger, head of communications, in an interview with SRF. He adds that the power plant is built to withstand even the crash of a large aircraft.

Drones must not simply be shot down

A no-fly zone is in effect around the nuclear power plant. Nevertheless, operators are not permitted to take drones out of the air on their own initiative.

As drone expert Stefan Hunziker explained to SRF, the police use special defense systems for this purpose. These include so-called jammers, which disrupt a drone’s radio or GPS connection. Some police departments also have net launchers that can be used to capture drones. However, their range is only about 50 to 70 meters.

Series of sightings

This incident is one of several similar drone sightings in recent weeks.

In early July, unidentified drones were spotted over a military barracks in Jassbach, Bern, and near the Meiringen military airfield. As early as the fall of 2025, drones flying over the important power switching station in Laufenburg, AG, sparked debate. It later turned out that a private company had been commissioned by Swissgrid to inspect the power lines and that the flight had been authorized.

It remains to be seen whether the recent sighting near Gösgen was also harmless or whether there was in fact a violation of the no-fly zone.