In brief
A drone fitted with an explosive device was found at Leipzig/Halle Airport after a worker spotted it beside Ukrainian cargo aircraft. German police deployed a robot to extract the detonator and the incident is under investigation. Authorities warned that the pattern of unauthorized drone flights over military and logistics sites may be linked to Russian operatives. The airport also serves NATO allies and is a hub for Ukraine’s Antonov airline. Earlier this year, parcel fires at the same airport raised suspicions of sabotage tied to Moscow.
German police said a drone fitted with explosives was found at Leipzig/Halle Airport late last night. The device was spotted by an employee near Ukrainian cargo planes and a robot was deployed to neutralise the detonator.
In a separate incident, an unidentified object collided with a cargo aircraft, leaving minor damage when the plane landed in Hanover.
Berlin has warned that the series of unauthorized drone flights over military and logistics sites may be linked to Russian operatives. The airport serves NATO allies and hosts Ukraine’s Antonov airline.
The investigation is ongoing and no further details have been released. The Russian state has not commented on the allegations.
Earlier this year, there were reports of parcel fires at the same airport, believed by some to be sabotage linked to Moscow. The incidents ranged from DHL cargo to UK and EU shipping.