- A drone carrying explosives was discovered at Leipzig airport, narrowly averting a catastrophe with multiple casualties, according to German officials.
- The drone was found near a Ukrainian aircraft loaded with military ammunition, as reported by WDR, NDR, and Süddeutsche.
- Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said Germany faced a serious threat and that only a ripped detonator prevented the device from going off near Ukrainian cargo planes.
- Investigators were treating the incident as part of a “professional hybrid threat scenario” with a focus on “foreign powers” as likely perpetrators.
- The drone had a handmade remote detonator that did not work, and investigators hoped it could offer clues as to its origin and culprits.
- Leipzig airport's status as a Nato and German military logistics hub and base for Ukraine's Antonov Airlines has directed suspicion toward Russia.
- The drone was discovered by an airport staff member shortly before midnight on Tuesday, hovering near two Antonov Airlines An-124 cargo airplanes.
- The drone was modified to circumvent electronic detection and carried a package of explosives believed to be semtex.
German officials are probing a drone carrying explosives discovered at Leipzig airport, which was found near a Ukrainian cargo plane loaded with military ammunition. The drone, which had a handmade remote detonator that failed to activate, was located shortly before midnight on Tuesday, hovering between two Antonov Airlines An-124 cargo airplanes.15
According to Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, the drone was modified to evade electronic detection and was attached to a package of explosives believed to be semtex, a powerful plastic explosive. Dobrindt noted that only an apparently “ripped” detonator prevented a potential disaster, as the drone was found at a shipping and military hub critical to NATO operations.
The incident has raised suspicions of foreign state involvement, particularly from Russia, which has been accused of conducting sabotage attacks in Europe. Dobrindt emphasized that investigators are treating the situation as part of a “professional hybrid threat scenario”, focusing on “foreign powers” as likely perpetrators. The drone's discovery has prompted a thorough investigation into its origins and the individuals behind the plot, with authorities hoping to glean insights from the failed detonator.4
The drone's presence near military assets underscores the heightened security concerns in the region, especially given Leipzig airport's role as a logistics hub for NATO and the base for Ukraine's Antonov Airlines in Europe.
“The drone, modified to evade detection, carried a fist-sized package of semtex, and only a ripped detonator prevented detonation near Ukrainian cargo planes. Leipzig's role as a Nato logistics hub and base for Antonov Airlines has directed suspicion toward Russia.”
The Guardian
