German police uncover drone with explosives near Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig airport
Authorities say a drone carrying a small amount of semtex was found near a Ukrainian aircraft loaded with ammunition at Leipzig airport, prompting an investigation into possible foreign involvement.
German officials reported that a drone equipped with a handmade remote detonator and a fist-sized package of semtex was discovered near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig airport. The interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, said a "ripped" detonator prevented the device from exploding and described the incident as a "professional hybrid threat scenario" involving foreign powers.
The Ukrainian aircraft was reportedly carrying military ammunition, according to a classified police report cited by public broadcasters. The airport, which serves as a NATO and German military logistics hub and hosts Ukraine's Antonov Airlines in Europe, has been the focus of suspicion toward Russia, though officials have not formally accused Moscow.
Parliamentary intelligence committee member Roderich Kiesewetter attributed the attack to Russia, calling it a "targeted hybrid attack". Police noted that the drone evaded the airport's detection system and had been on site for several hours before being found by staff shortly before midnight.
Following the discovery, air traffic at the facility was temporarily suspended, affecting a DHL cargo flight that later made an emergency landing in Hanover after colliding with a second drone. The airport resumed normal operations the next day.
Leipzig has previously been targeted by incendiary devices linked to a pan-European investigation that identified suspects in Lithuania and Poland, some allegedly employed by Russian intelligence.