Drone with detonator found near Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig airport
Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany suspended operations overnight into Aug. 5 after a drone with a detonator was found on the runway near a Ukrainian An-124 cargo aircraft, according to reports by Bild and several other German outlets. Police have not ruled out sabotage and are searching for the drone operator. The German news program Tagesschau, citing NDR , WDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung , reported…
A drone with a detonator was discovered near a Ukrainian An-124 cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany, prompting the suspension of operations overnight until August 5, according to multiple German news outlets. Police are investigating the incident and have not ruled out sabotage, searching for the drone operator. An "unknown substance" suspected of being explosive was attached to the drone, found by airport staff.
Following the discovery, Leipzig airport operations were temporarily halted, forcing civilian aircraft to use alternate routes. A cargo aircraft was forced to divert to Hanover after colliding with an unknown object at several hundred meters altitude while attempting to land in Leipzig. The German Lower Saxony police are treating the situation as a possible state security offense.
Leipzig/Halle Airport is a crucial hub for Western arms deliveries to Ukraine. The airport previously experienced a package explosion in 2022, and similar incidents have occurred in Poland and the UK in 2024. Lithuanian authorities have charged 15 suspects, including individuals from several countries, linking the incidents to Russian military intelligence.
Investigations are ongoing, with drone sightings near German airports increasing, resulting in €160 million in losses for the German aviation industry in 2025.
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