German authorities have launched a counterterrorism investigation after an explosive-laden drone was discovered near a runway at Leipzig/Halle Airport, prompting officials to describe the incident as a new and dangerous form of hybrid attack.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the discovery marked an unprecedented security threat.
“Drone threats are not new, but finding a drone carrying explosives on airport grounds represents an entirely new level of danger,” he said after an emergency meeting with Germany’s security chiefs on Wednesday.
The drone was found overnight in a restricted cargo area near the airport’s southern runway by airport workers.
Authorities immediately suspended flights, forcing several aircraft, including some operated by logistics giant DHL, to divert to other airports.
Officials said there was no danger to passengers or airport staff, and most airport operations resumed the following morning after one runway was reopened.
The southern runway remains closed while bomb disposal experts continue examining the drone and safely remove its detonator.
Dobrindt said investigators are examining every aspect of the case, including the drone’s origin, who was responsible and whether it formed part of a broader hybrid threat.
He noted that such attacks are often designed to conceal their true source.
During the disruption, a diverted cargo aircraft also struck an unidentified object while in flight.
The plane landed safely in Hanover, where inspectors discovered minor damage. A source familiar with the matter identified the aircraft as belonging to DHL.
Leipzig/Halle Airport serves as a major cargo hub for DHL and Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines, which has operated from the airport since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The incident comes amid heightened security concerns following a series of unauthorised drone flights over German military bases, energy facilities, ports and logistics centres.
German federal police have previously suggested that some of the drone incursions may have been organised by Russian agents, although no evidence has yet linked Russia to the latest incident.
According to German newspaper Bild, the explosive drone was found close to a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft parked at the airport.
Counterterrorism prosecutors took over the investigation after experts confirmed that the drone was carrying explosives.
Dobrindt said the operation appeared to have been carefully planned and professionally executed rather than carried out by amateurs.
The case also follows a series of suspicious parcel fires across Europe in 2024, including incidents involving DHL warehouses in Leipzig.
However, Germany’s Interior Ministry said there is currently no confirmed link between those earlier sabotage investigations and the latest airport security incident.
Russia has denied any involvement in both the 2024 parcel incidents and recent drone overflights.
