In brief
Leipzig/Halle airport authorities discovered a drone carrying an explosive device overnight, prompting the use of a robotic arm to defuse it. The incident has raised alarms about a series of unauthorized drone flights targeting German infrastructure and has led federal police to suspect Russian involvement. While the southern runway remains closed, flights resumed on the northern runway at midnight. The event comes amid a month‐long string of suspicious parcel fires and drone incursions across Europe.
Leipzig/ Halle Airport Secures Drone Threat
The airport’s security team identified a drone laden with an explosive device on the tarmac late last night. A specialized robotic system was employed to remove the detonation mechanism and render the device harmless.
Authorities report that a second unidentified object touched a cargo aircraft near the same runway, leading to minor damage that was inspected after the aircraft landed at Hanover.
These incidents are part of a surge in illicit drone flights over strategic sites in Germany, including military bases, airports, energy plants, and shipping hubs. Federal police have warned of potential coordination by hostile state actors, citing Moscow as a likely source.
Leipzig/Halle serves dual functions: it supports the German military, NATO allies, and is a hub for Ukrainian Antonov Airlines. The newly discovered device was found close to parked Antonov transport planes, heightening concerns over targeted sabotage.
The northern runway’s operations resumed at 01:55. In contrast, the southern runway, which supports DHL logistics, remains closed for the time being.
Saxony’s Interior Minister Armin Schuster labelled the event as a “very serious security incident,” while Ukraine’s Ambassador Oleksii Makeiev cited Russia in a `Welt TV` briefing. Moscow has not issued any comments to this shock.
Earlier this year, a parcel ignited at the same airport before loading onto a DHL cargo plane, contributing to a series of parcel attacks across the UK and EU. Investigations indicated the parcels contained hidden explosives activated by covert timers.
Last year, a Chinese national was sentenced for providing flight schedule data to a broker linked to Beijing, adding layers of operational security breaches at the airport.
