In brief
Police at Leipzig/Halle Airport found a drone packed with an explosive device in the middle of an operation with Ukrainian cargo. The incident follows a series of unauthorized drone flights over sensitive sites across Germany, including military, aviation, and energy facilities. Russian agents are suspected, and Ukrainian officials have urged that the threat likely comes from Russia. The airport, used by the German army, NATO allies and Antonov Airlines, temporarily suspended flights and the Southern runway remains closed. Law enforcement has limited details, but the event underscores the growing security risk.
Police at Leipzig/Halle Airport discovered a drone carrying an explosive device overnight, reported by Saxony police. The drone was spotted by an employee near Ukrainian cargo planes and a robotic unit was deployed to remove the detonator safely.
In the same location, a second unidentified object collided with a cargo aircraft, causing minor damage when the plane landed in Hanover.
German authorities have warned that a recent wave of unauthorized drone flights over military bases, airports, energy terminals, seaports and logistics hubs could have been organized by Russian agents.
The Leipzig/Halle airport serves both German military and NATO allies for transporting military goods and operates as a base for Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines.
Following the discovery, flights over the northern runway resumed at 01:55 local time, while the southern runway, a major hub for DHL logistics, remains closed.
Saxony’s Interior Minister Armin Schuster described the incident as a very serious security event and has emphasized the need for heightened vigilance.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany Oleksii Makeiev, speaking to Welt TV, suggested Russia was likely behind the attack, to which Russia has not responded.
Earlier this year, a parcel burst into flames at Leipzig airport just before loading onto a DHL cargo plane – one among a series of parcel fires targeting the UK and EU. Authorities suspect sabotage, and the parcels had concealed explosive devices hidden as vibrating massage pillows.
In 2023, a Chinese woman was convicted of passing information about flight schedules and cargo movements at Leipzig-Halle Airport to a Beijing spy.
