An explosive-laden drone was spotted near a Ukrainian plane in Germany.
An explosive-laden drone was discovered near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig-Halle Airport in Germany, causing a temporary disruption to air traffic. German authorities described the incident as demonstrating a "new level of danger" and are investigating the possibility of a combination of threats.
German police have sealed off part of Leipzig-Halle airport after discovering an explosive-laden drone on the runway, near a Ukrainian Antonov Airlines plane.
From around midnight, all flights to Leipzig-Halle had to be diverted to other airports for several hours. Authorities deployed bomb disposal robots to approach the UAV and defuse the device.
Leipzig-Halle Airport in eastern Germany plays a crucial role in transporting military cargo for the German army and its NATO allies, and is also an operational base for Antonov Airlines.
Images from the scene show a bomb disposal robot operating near an Antonov aircraft painted in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag, with the words "Be Brave Like Kherson" on its fuselage.
Germany warns of a “new level of danger”
Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, accused Russia of being behind the incident. Speaking to Welt TV, he asked, "Who else could it be but Russia?"
However, German officials said the investigation is still ongoing and no one has been identified as responsible. Moscow has not commented on the incident.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt commented that the incident shows a"level degree danger danger new”, following a series of drone sightings at sensitive locations in Germany recently.
According to Dobrindt, the characteristics of the equipment and technology used do not indicate that this was an amateurish act.
"We are facing a professional, mixed threat scenario," said the German Interior Minister, adding that the origin of the drone, the explosives, and the forces behind the incident are all under investigation.
Mr. Dobrindt argued that Germany is in a protracted confrontation with a combination of threats and did not rule out the possibility of foreign involvement.
Cargo plane collides with mysterious object.
Earlier, German police announced a “security-related incident” that had caused flights at Leipzig-Halle to be temporarily suspended.
Just before midnight, an unidentified flying object was spotted near the airport, forcing several aircraft, including a passenger flight, to divert.
At the same time, security forces spotted an object near the south runway. An explosives disposal robot was then deployed and defused the device.
Notably, a cargo plane reportedly collided with another unidentified flying object while at an altitude of approximately 400 meters.
Police confirmed the cargo plane collided with "a second unidentified flying object." The plane still landed safely in Hanover and sustained only minor damage.
Operations at Leipzig-Halle airport resumed in the early morning, but initially only the north runway was used while investigators continued to gather evidence on the south runway.
Concerns about a “hybrid war”
Germany and many other European countries have recently reported frequent drone sightings in sensitive locations such as airports, military bases, and industrial facilities.
German officials, one of Ukraine's largest military aid providers, suspect Russia of being behind numerous incidents as part of sabotage, espionage, and disinformation campaigns. Moscow has repeatedly denied these accusations.
In July 2024, a package caught fire at Leipzig airport before being loaded onto a DHL cargo plane. German security agencies then investigated the incident as a possible act of sabotage involving arson linked to Russia.
Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksii Makeiev also recalled the 2024 incident and stated that Russia "has long been waging this hybrid war."
According to him, the concept of "hybrid" might even lessen the severity of the situation, because Ukraine believes that Russia's actions are not only aimed at the country but also at Europe.
According to AFP