Drone with explosives found at Leipzig airport as cargo plane collides with object mid-air

A drone equipped with an explosive device was discovered overnight near a Ukrainian Antonov Airlines cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle airport, prompting a security lockdown at one of Europe's most important military logistics hubs. At the same time, a DHL freighter aborted its approach to the airport and collided with an unidentified object roughly six kilometres away, sustaining minor damage to its nose before landing safely in Hanover.

The twin incidents have immediately raised suspicions of a coordinated sabotage attempt. Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, told Welt TV that Russia was the obvious culprit. "Who else could it be but Russia?" he said, pointing to a pattern of similar incidents targeting infrastructure used to supply Kyiv.

Night of disruption

Federal police said an unidentified flying object was spotted near the southern runway shortly before midnight, forcing the diversion of several aircraft, including a Marabu Airlines passenger jet from Palma de Mallorca that was redirected to Nuremberg. Cargo operations at the DHL hub were halted for hours, with departures delayed until the early morning. Normal traffic resumed on the northern runway only, while investigators combed the southern runway for evidence.

A bomb disposal robot was deployed to examine the drone, which was found close to an Antonov aircraft painted in Ukrainian colours with the slogan "Be Brave Like Kherson" on its fuselage. Authorities have not confirmed whether the device was detonated or rendered safe.

Pattern of hybrid attacks

Germany's interior ministry confirmed the drone discovery but declined to provide further details. A spokesman said the DHL aircraft had been cleared to land but aborted the approach before striking an object in mid-air. The plane later touched down in Hanover without injury to the crew.

"Indeed, Russia has long been waging this hybrid war. Yet the word 'hybrid' somehow downplays the fact that Russia is waging war not only against Ukraine but also against Europe."

Ambassador Makeiev linked the incident to a fire in July 2024 when a parcel ignited at the same airport before being loaded onto a DHL flight, an episode German security services attributed to a Moscow-linked arson plot. Last year, a Chinese national was convicted of passing flight schedules and cargo data from Leipzig/Halle to an intelligence operative in Beijing. Russia has denied involvement in any of these episodes.

Investigation under way

Prosecutors and federal police are now working to determine whether the drone and the mid-air collision are connected, and whether the explosive device was intended to detonate on the ground or in flight. The airport's role as a conduit for military aid makes it a high-value target for any actor seeking to degrade Western logistics. For now, the southern runway remains closed as forensic teams gather evidence.