A drone equipped with an explosive device was discovered near the south runway of Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany late Tuesday, prompting airport officials to close both runways and divert multiple aircraft. An airport employee located the unmanned craft, and police responded by deploying an anti-explosives robot to the scene. Authorities subsequently removed the device’s detonator, averting potential danger.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt traveled to the airport to assess the situation, describing the incident as a “new quality of danger” and a “hybrid attack scenario.” He characterized the discovery of an explosives-laden drone at an airport as a novel threat scenario distinct from previous drone sightings and incidents involving unmanned aircraft. However, Dobrindt declined to provide specifics regarding the explosive device’s composition, the drone’s origin, or potential responsibility for the incident, indicating these matters remained under investigation.
Police and prosecutors indicated they were investigating the possible involvement of a second drone. According to reports, an additional flying object may have collided with a cargo airplane that was aborting its landing due to the runway closure. The affected aircraft diverted to Hannover Airport, approximately 200 kilometers away, where technicians identified minor damage upon inspection.
The north runway resumed operations after roughly two hours, while the south runway remained closed for scheduled maintenance. Authorities reported no threat to passengers or airport personnel, and normal flight operations resumed later in the day. The Leipzig/Halle facility serves as a major freight hub and regularly accommodates cargo aircraft from various nations, including Ukrainian transport planes.
The incident occurred in a context of heightened security concerns at the airport. In 2024, an incendiary device had ignited at a logistics facility at the same airport, damaging cargo. Western intelligence officials have suggested possible involvement by Russian actors in that earlier incident, consistent with broader allegations that Moscow and affiliated entities have conducted numerous attacks and disruptive operations across European targets since the commencement of large-scale military operations in Ukraine.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI