One aircraft, which had to abort its landing at Leipzig/Halle Airport, then collided in the air nearby with an unknown object but later landed safely elsewhere, a government spokesman reported.
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Officials reported that a drone found at the German airport near a Ukrainian cargo plane at night contained an “explosive device”.
“An airport employee at Leipzig/Halle Airport noticed a drone carrying an unknown explosive device,” police and prosecutors stated, adding that police officers used a robot to remove the detonator.
The newspaper Bild earlier reported that the drone found on the runway of this airport in eastern Germany had explosives and a detonating device.
Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksiy Makeiev expressed suspicion that Moscow is behind this incident, telling Welt TV: “Who else could it be if not Russia?”
Leipzig/Halle Airport plays an important role in transporting military goods, including cargo for the German army and NATO allies, and also serves as a base for the Ukrainian airline Antonov Airlines.
A local news agency video shows a bomb disposal robot next to an Antonov aircraft painted in yellow and blue with the inscription “Be brave like Kherson” on the side. This is a reference to the Russian-struck Ukrainian region.
DHL cargo plane collided with a drone
Bild also reported that the aircraft that collided with an unknown object about six kilometers away in the air is a DHL cargo plane. It is noted that minor damage was done to the plane’s “nose,” which was noticed when the aircraft later landed safely at Hanover Airport.
German police first reported on Wednesday morning that flights to Leipzig/Halle Airport were temporarily suspended due to a security-related incident.
“Just before midnight, an unidentified flying object was spotted near Leipzig and Halle Airport, causing several aircraft, including a passenger plane, to be diverted to other airports,” the statement said.
A passenger plane from Mallorca and several cargo planes had to be diverted elsewhere.
“Additionally, an object was detected near the southern runway, initially inspected by federal police – a bomb disposal robot was involved in this process,” the police said.
Regular traffic at the airport was resumed early Wednesday, but only on the northern runway, while investigators continued to search for evidence on the southern runway.
Drones spotted
Later, a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior said: “I can confirm that a drone was found at Leipzig/Halle Airport. Unfortunately, I cannot say anything more at this time.”
Commenting on the incident in the air, he said the plane “was supposed to land in Leipzig but then had to abort the landing.”
“Then it collided with an object,” the spokesman said, adding that the aircraft landed safely. The ministry spokesman did not provide further information.
Germany and other European countries have repeatedly observed drones flying over sites such as airports, military bases, and industrial facilities.
German institutions, one of Ukraine’s largest military supporters, say they suspect that many of these incidents are organized by Russia as part of a spying, sabotage, and disinformation campaign.
In July 2024, a package caught fire on the ground at Leipzig Airport before it could be loaded onto a DHL cargo plane. This was part of a suspected sabotage and arson plan linked to Moscow.
Russia denies involvement in such incidents.
Last year, a Chinese citizen was convicted for passing information about flight schedules and cargo movements at Leipzig and Halle Airport to a man spying for Beijing.
Ukrainian Ambassador O. Makeiev also drew attention to the 2024 incident involving a DHL package in Leipzig.
“Indeed, Russia has been waging this hybrid war for a long time,” he said. “However, the word ‘hybrid’ somehow diminishes the fact that Russia is waging war not only against Ukraine but also against Europe.”
