German authorities on Wednesday revealed that an explosive-laden drone was discovered and defused at Leipzig Halle Airport, an incident that a top security official described as a "new quality of danger." The discovery has intensified concerns over potential new Russian hybrid tactics targeting Europe.
Both runways at the major freight hub were temporarily closed, and several flights, including one passenger plane, were diverted after a flying object was sighted near the airport shortly before midnight Tuesday. An anti-explosives robot was deployed to examine an object found near the south runway. Police and prosecutors later confirmed that an airport employee discovered the drone, which carried an unknown explosive device, and that its detonator was removed.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that the presence of an armed drone at an airport represents a "new threat scenario" and a "hybrid attack scenario," though he did not provide further details on the assessment of the device, its origin, or those responsible, deferring to the ongoing investigation.
Dobrindt emphasized that while drone sightings and threats, including in a hybrid context, are not new, "that a drone armed with explosives is at an airport is a new threat scenario."
Germany and other European nations have reported numerous drone sightings over sensitive locations such as airports, military bases, and industrial sites. Authorities in Germany, a significant supporter of Ukraine, suspect Russia may be orchestrating these incidents as part of a campaign involving sabotage, espionage, and disinformation.
Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, voiced suspicion, asking, "Who else could it be but Russia?" He also pointed to a 2024 incident at the same airport where an incendiary device ignited a freight container, a plot suspected by Western security officials to be linked to Russian intelligence.
The regional interior minister of Saxony, Armin Schuster, indicated that authorities are searching for parts of a potential second drone. Police and prosecutors reported that an apparent second flying object collided with a freight airplane after it aborted a landing at Leipzig Halle due to the runway closure. The aircraft, which diverted to Hannover, sustained minor damage.
The airport's north runway was reopened after approximately two hours, while the south runway was scheduled for maintenance. Officials stated there was no danger to passengers or staff, and daytime flights were unaffected.
Video footage showed a bomb disposal robot operating near an Antonov plane painted in Ukrainian colors with the inscription "Be Brave Like Kherson." Leipzig Halle Airport is a key transport hub for military goods for the German military and NATO allies, and it also serves as a base for Ukraine's Antonov Airlines.
NATO acknowledged awareness of the incident and referred inquiries to German authorities.
Previous incidents include a halt in flights at Munich Airport in May due to a possible drone sighting, occurring shortly after a Russian drone struck an apartment building in Romania. Munich Airport also experienced closures last October following multiple drone sightings. In September 2024, German authorities investigated claims of unidentified drones potentially spying on critical infrastructure in Schleswig-Holstein, including a power plant, a university hospital, and a shipyard.
