A drone packed with the explosive Semtex reportedly crashed into the wing of a stationary Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4, but failed to detonate, according to a report by The Mail on Sunday. Security experts view the incident as a significant development, indicating Russia's willingness to employ drones against targets in Europe.
Investigators reportedly discovered DNA traces on the drone that match an individual suspected of involvement in a Kremlin-backed sabotage campaign that included sending parcel bombs to the UK approximately two years prior. This campaign involved devices mailed from Vilnius, Lithuania, with investigators identifying 22 suspects in Lithuania and Poland believed to be linked to Russia's GRU military intelligence service. Five men are currently on trial in Lithuania for mailing incendiary devices.
Forensic evidence now suggests a connection between the parcel bomb plot and the Leipzig drone attack. Professor Peter Neumann, an expert on German security services at King's College London, stated that the matching DNA found on the drone and linked to the 2024 Birmingham warehouse parcel bomb incident is "the smoking gun" connecting the Russian GRU to the operation. Roderich Kieswetter, a German MP, also indicated that if the DNA is confirmed to match the parcel bomb case, it would strongly implicate the GRU.
A spokesman for the prosecutor's office in Lithuania confirmed that the drone incident at Leipzig Airport is linked to Lithuania, and the country's defense and interior ministers have reportedly been briefed.
The Leipzig drone was reportedly fitted with approximately 600 grams of Semtex inside a sweetcorn can, which detached upon impact. A defective detonator is believed to have prevented a larger explosion. Polish investigators reportedly identified a cache of similar explosive-filled cans smuggled into Poland by Russian agents.
The military-grade drone was reportedly controlled via a 4G or 5G mobile phone network using SIM cards, rather than radio frequencies. This method of control allows for operation from a greater distance, potentially from another country, and experts note it makes drones more difficult to detect and jam.
A resident in Kursdorf, a village near the airport, reported seeing the drone approaching the runway and later witnessing airport security and police activity in the area. Investigators also believe a second drone may have been present, relaying live video to the operators of the attack drone. A DHL cargo plane from Marseille reportedly experienced minor damage after a collision with this second drone and made an emergency landing.
Experts have warned that the UK could also face similar drone attacks, particularly after Russia threatened "consequences" in response to Ukraine's use of British-made drones to strike targets within Russia.