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A drone loaded with explosives was discovered near a Ukrainian aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany late Tuesday, prompting authorities to describe the event as introducing “a new quality of danger,” officials reported on Wednesday.
The find led to the temporary closure of both runways at the major European cargo hub, causing multiple flights to be rerouted to alternate airports, according to The Associated Press.
Shortly before midnight, another unidentified flying object was observed nearby. This second sighting resulted in the diversion of several flights, including a passenger plane.
German police responded with a large-scale investigation into both incidents. An airport employee initially located the first drone near the airport’s south runway, where it was found to be carrying an unknown explosive device.
An explosives disposal robot was dispatched to safely examine the device, and officials removed its detonator to neutralize the threat.
The Ukrainian aircraft involved bore the country’s blue and yellow colors and carried the English slogan “Be Brave Like Kherson,” honoring the southern Ukrainian region, Deutsche Welle reported.
In the later incident, an unidentified flying object collided with a cargo plane that had aborted its landing due to the runway closure. The cargo plane diverted to Hannover Airport, about 125 miles northwest of Leipzig, where officials noted only minor damage.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt characterized the discovery of the armed drone as a significant escalation in airport security threats. “Drone sightings and threats are not new, but a drone equipped with explosives at an airport represents a new threat scenario,” he said, labeling the event a “hybrid attack scenario.”
Dobrindt emphasized that investigations are ongoing regarding the type of explosives, the drone’s origin, and those responsible. “All speculation about the device and its origins will be addressed through the investigation,” he said, adding that previous assessments about the high level of threat were now confirmed.
Earlier this year, Dobrindt inaugurated Germany’s Joint Centre for Countering Hybrid Threats, a collaborative effort among federal and state agencies to tackle espionage, sabotage, disinformation, and other security risks.
Leipzig/Halle Airport is a key hub for European freight and hosts Ukrainian Antonov transport aircraft. NATO acknowledged awareness of the incidents but deferred inquiries to German authorities.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, pointed to Russia as the likely culprit, stating, “Who else could it be but Russia?” according to media reports.
This incident follows a 2024 arson attack at Leipzig/Halle’s logistics center, where a freight container was set ablaze in what Western officials suspect was a Russian intelligence sabotage operation.