A drone carrying explosives was found near a Ukrainian plane at Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport late Tuesday, prompting officials to warn the incident represented “a new quality of danger,” authorities said Wednesday.
The discovery temporarily shut down both runways at the major European freight hub and forced several flights to divert to other airports, according to The Associated Press.
Another flying object was spotted nearby shortly before midnight and several flights, including one passenger plane, were then diverted to other airports.
JETBLUE FLIGHT REPORTS DRONE STRIKE DURING APPROACH TO NEW YORK AIRPORT: FAA
German police launched a large response and opened an investigation into the two incidents.
Police said an airport worker found the first explosive drone near the airport’s south runway with “an unknown explosive device.”
An explosives disposal robot was deployed to examine the device before authorities removed its detonator.
The plane, bearing the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag, displayed the English-language slogan, “Be Brave Like Kherson,” a tribute to the southern Ukrainian region, Deutsche Welle reported.
In the second incident, an unidentified flying object collided with a cargo aircraft that had aborted its landing at Leipzig/Halle Airport because of the runway closure.
HELICOPTER REPORTS NEAR MISS WITH RC PLANE NEAR JFK AFTER JETBLUE DRONE STRIKE
The aircraft diverted to Hannover Airport, about 125 miles north-west of Leipzig, where officials found minor damage, according to The Associated Press.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the discovery of the first drone marked a significant escalation.
“Drone sightings, drone threats, including in a hybrid context, are something we know from the past,” he said. “That a drone armed with explosives is at an airport is a new threat scenario.”
Dobrindt also described the incident as “a hybrid attack scenario.”
He said questions about the type of explosives used, the drone’s origin and who was responsible remained under investigation.
“All the speculation that is currently going on about the explosives, the construction, the question of the drone, the origin and, of course, who is behind it, is now part of the investigation,” Dobrindt said.
“What is happening now also shows that the assessment made months ago — that we are dealing with a high level of danger — was justified.”
In June, Dobrindt opened Germany’s Joint Centre for Countering Hybrid Threats, which brings together federal and state security agencies to address threats including espionage, sabotage and disinformation.
REPORT WARNS RUSSIA USING SHADOW FLEET TO PROBE NATO DRONE DEFENSES
Leipzig/Halle Airport is a major European cargo hub, and Ukrainian Antonov transport aircraft are based there.
NATO said it was aware of the incidents but referred questions to German authorities.
RUSSIA LINKED TO ARSON ATTACKS ON PROPERTIES CONNECTED TO UK PM KEIR STARMER, POLICE SAY
Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, suggested Moscow may have been behind the incident, telling Welt TV Wednesday, “Who else could it be but Russia” according to reports.
In 2024, an incendiary device ignited at a logistics center at Leipzig/Halle Airport, setting fire to a freight container in an incident Western security officials suspect was part of a Russian intelligence sabotage operation.
Explosive drone forces shutdown at major German airport serving NATO, Ukraine flights 2026 IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2026 2026-08-05 23:32:23 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
