Leipzig/Halle Airport on high alert after explosive-laden drone found near Ukrainian cargo planes
German police on Wednesday defused a drone carrying an explosive at Leipzig/Halle Airport after an employee spotted it near the south runway, the AP reported
German police on Wednesday defused a drone carrying an explosive at Leipzig/Halle Airport after an employee spotted it near the south runway, the AP reported. An explosives-disposal robot removed the detonator, and investigators confirmed the device was neutralized. Authorities said a second unidentified object collided with a cargo aircraft that had aborted its landing because of runway closure near the airport. The plane diverted to Hanover airport, where inspectors found minor damage. The regional interior minister of Saxony state, Armin Schuster, said authorities were looking for parts of a possible second drone, reported AP.
Both runways at Leipzig/Halle were closed overnight, with the north runway reopening after two hours. The south runway remained shut for further maintenance. Officials stressed there was no danger to passengers or airport staff. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has also called these incidents “a new level of threat.” Saxony police said the drone was spotted near Ukrainian cargo planes overnight. Germany's airports are on high alert following a spate of unauthorized drone flights over military bases, airports, energy terminals, logistics companies and seaports. Police have warned of potential Russian employment, which Moscow denied Leipzig/Halle airport, in Eastern Germany, is a key military and cargo hub used by the German armed forces, NATO allies and is a base for Ukraine's Antonov Airlines.
IT also serves as a major DHL cargo hub. The explosive device was found close to parked Antonov planes, according to police officials. controlled explosion was carried out on Tuesday morning (local time). Also Read | China is in denial over trade—and risks losing access to its prized EU market Russian involvement? Dobrindt told reporters at the airport that, “All of this does not point to an amateurish approach. We are talking about a professional, hybrid threat scenario that we will continue to address.” Without naming any names, he also said that the investigation may point to possible “competition” that “may also involve foreign powers,” AP reported.
Ukraine's ambassador to Germany commented, “Who else could it be but Russia?” Moscow has not responded. BBC reported that Peter R Neumann, a professor of Security Studies at King's College, London, posted on Similar incidents have taken place in Germany involving suspicious drones since Germany's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022,
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