A German airport temporarily closed its runway late Tuesday night after a drone, which investigators believe may have been carrying a detonator, was discovered near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane. The drone was found at Leipzig/Halle Airport, a significant logistics hub for DHL.
Specialists utilized explosives-disposal technology to examine the object while the southern runway remained closed. The incident has heightened security concerns at German airports, which have experienced a series of unauthorized drone overflights near military sites, energy terminals, seaports, and logistics companies.
Authorities are also investigating reports of an unidentified flying object potentially linked to the drone discovery. According to German newspaper Bild, a cargo plane may have had to abort its landing and circle back after encountering an unidentified object approximately six kilometers from the airport at an altitude of about 1,300 feet. Minor damage was later found on the front of the aircraft when it landed at Hanover Airport.
Bomb disposal experts were dispatched to Leipzig/Halle Airport around midnight. The drone was reportedly carrying an unknown substance along with a detonator. German Federal Police intended to conduct a remotely controlled detonation using a robot, though it remains unclear if this occurred. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
Several flights were diverted overnight, including a passenger flight from Mallorca that was redirected to Nuremberg Airport. Operations at Leipzig/Halle Airport had returned to normal by morning.
Police in Lower Saxony have classified the incident as a state security offense, not ruling out the possibility of sabotage. Germany's federal police have suggested that Russian agents may be behind such overflights, a claim Russia denies.
This event follows previous drone-related disruptions at German airports. In May, Munich Airport halted flights after a potential drone sighting. The previous October, Munich Airport also closed its runways due to several suspected 'military' drones. In late September, German authorities were investigating claims of unidentified drones potentially spying on critical infrastructure in Schleswig-Holstein, including a power plant, a university hospital, and a shipyard.