A drone equipped with an explosive device was located at Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport on Tuesday evening, prompting immediate security responses and airport disruptions, according to statements from regional authorities on Wednesday.
The discovery occurred after a flying object was spotted near the airport’s south runway shortly before midnight. Airport personnel identified the drone in the vicinity of the runway, and upon inspection, police determined it contained an unknown explosive mechanism. An anti-explosives robot was deployed to the site, and authorities subsequently removed the device’s detonator, rendering it safe.
The incident resulted in the closure of both runways at the major freight hub, leading to the diversion of multiple flights, including passenger aircraft, to alternative airports. One freight plane that had initiated a landing sequence before the runway closure was secured was diverted to Hannover, approximately 200 kilometers to the northwest, where inspectors discovered minor damage potentially caused by a second flying object. The north runway reopened after approximately two hours, while the south runway remained closed for scheduled maintenance.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt traveled to the airport after cutting short his vacation and characterized the incident as representing a “new quality of danger” and a previously unseen threat scenario. He described the situation as a potential hybrid attack scenario but declined to provide additional investigative details or publicly identify potential actors responsible for the incident. Authorities indicated that investigative work was ongoing concerning the explosive device’s specifics, the drone’s origin, and accountability.
Regional officials stated that investigators were searching for components of a possible second drone. NATO acknowledged awareness of the occurrence but deferred inquiries to German authorities. The incident follows a prior 2024 incendiary device incident at the airport’s logistics center, which Western security officials have attributed to Russian intelligence operations.
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