German police defuse explosive laden drone at Leipzig/Halle Airport, probe foreign involvement

German police on Wednesday defused a drone carrying an explosive at Leipzig/Halle Airport after an employee spotted it near the south runway, the AP reported. An explosives-disposal robot removed the detonator, and investigators confirmed the device was neutralized.

Both runways at Leipzig/Halle were closed overnight, with the north runway reopening after two hours. The south runway remained shut for further maintenance on Wednesday. Officials stressed that said there was no danger to passengers or airport employees, and flights weren't affected during the day, reported AP.

Authorities said a second unidentified object collided with a cargo aircraft that had aborted its landing because of runway closure. The plane diverted to Hanover airport, where officials found minor damage.

The regional interior minister of Saxony state, Armin Schuster, said authorities were looking for parts of a possible second drone, reported AP.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has also called the incidents “a hybrid attack scenario,” and “a new level of threat.” Saxony police said the drone was spotted near Ukrainian cargo planes overnight.

Germany's airports are on high alert following a spate of unauthorized drone flights over military bases, airports, energy terminals, logistics companies and seaports. Police have warned of potential Russian employment, which Moscow denied

Leipzig/Halle airport, in Eastern Germany, is a key military and cargo hub used by the German armed forces, NATO allies and is a base for Ukraine's Antonov Airlines. IT also serves as a major DHL cargo hub.

The explosive device was found close to parked Antonov planes, according to police officials. controlled explosion was carried out on Tuesday morning (local time).

Russian involvement?

Dobrindt told reporters at the airport that, “All of this does not point to an amateurish approach. We are talking about a professional, hybrid threat scenario that we will continue to address.” Without naming any names, he also said that the investigation may point to possible “competition” that “may also involve foreign powers,” AP reported.

Ukraine's ambassador to Germany commented, “Who else could it be but Russia?”

Moscow has not responded.

BBC reported that Peter R Neumann, a professor of Security Studies at King's College, London, posted on X: "Since last night, the drone war has reached Germany, and it exposes a weakness that we've known about for years.”

Similar incidents have taken place in Germany involving suspicious drones since Germany's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022,

In July 2024, a parcel reportedly burst into flames on the ground at Leipzig/Halle airport before it could be loaded into a DHL cargo plane. This was part of a series of parcel fires targeting the UK and EU countries. Russia had denied involvement in these incidents. A Chinese woman was also convicted for passing on information about flight schedules and cargo movements to a Chinese spy in 2025.