Germany’s Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has warned that the discovery of a drone carrying explosives at Leipzig Airport represents “a new level of threat” to the country, as authorities investigate whether the incident may have been orchestrated by a foreign power.
The small drone, carrying an explosive device, was discovered at Leipzig Airport on Wednesday morning, triggering an emergency response and flight disruptions. German police deployed a bomb-disposal robot to examine and destroy the device.
Speaking later in the day, Dobrindt said the incident did not appear to have been the work of amateurs and was being investigated as part of what he described as a “professional hybrid threat scenario.”
“This could involve foreign powers, and that will be part of the investigation,” Dobrindt said, warning that such activities could contribute to significant insecurity in Germany.
A DHL cargo aircraft was reportedly forced to abort its landing and later struck an unidentified object while departing the airport. The aircraft subsequently landed safely in Hanover, where minor damage was discovered.
German officials have not publicly identified Russia as a suspect. However, Leipzig Airport’s role as an important logistics hub for NATO and Germany, as well as a European base for Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines, has fueled speculation about possible Russian involvement. Moscow has previously denied allegations that Russian agents have carried out sabotage operations across Europe.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Oleksii Makeiev directly blamed Moscow, asking: “Who else could it be other than Russia?”
German intelligence and opposition officials have called for a thorough investigation. Konstantin von Notz, the Green Party’s parliamentary spokesman for intelligence oversight, said that if a state were found to be behind the incident, it could amount to state-sponsored terrorism against Germany.
Marc Henrichmann, the CDU chairman of the parliamentary intelligence oversight committee, said the incident appeared to have involved an attempt to target a company considered important to Ukraine. If confirmed, he said, it would represent “a new level of escalation” in this type of attack.
Authorities said the drone was spotted by an airport employee in a security area near the southern runway. A second suspected unidentified flying object was later involved in an incident with a cargo aircraft after it took off following an earlier runway closure.
Several flights, including a passenger flight from Mallorca, were diverted. Operations in the northern section of the airport resumed after around two hours, while the southern runway remained closed as investigators examined the drone.
Police and prosecutors said there was no immediate threat to the lives or safety of passengers or airport staff and that passenger air traffic had not been significantly affected.
Germany and several other European countries have reported a series of suspicious drone sightings and unauthorized flights near airports, military facilities, ports and logistics companies. European authorities have accused Russian operatives of being behind some of the incidents, allegations Moscow has repeatedly rejected.
Germany, one of Ukraine’s leading military supporters, has also accused Russia of conducting a broader campaign of sabotage, espionage and disinformation targeting the country.
