German airport drone-bomb: Could Russia be involved?

A drone packed with explosives made its way to Leipzig airport in Germany, prompting investigators to look into potential involvement from Russia. Although no direct evidence links the flying bomb to Moscow, there is evidence of a similar Russian-backed plot in 2024 involving Ukrainian proxies in Poland and Lithuania. They handled drones and explosives and delivered them to Germany.

A drone was discovered at Leipzig airport, forcing one runway into lockdown as a bomb disposal robot took action. Nearby were several Ukrainian cargo planes, with one bearing an inscription in Ukrainian, 'Be Brave Like Kherson', a city currently on the front lines of Russia's invasion. The drone was a small device spotted floating between the Ukrainian planes.

Simultaneously, a DHL cargo plane collided with an unidentified object, leading investigators to trace the launch of both devices. A 2024 Russian-backed plot at Leipzig airport could provide clues, as a parcel containing a sophisticated incendiary device caught fire at the airport's DHL hub. The plot involved a network of Russian military intelligence proxies in Lithuania and Poland, who concealed explosives and drone parts meant for terrorist attacks.

The suspects were paid to transport the explosives around Europe, hidden in cans of sweetcorn and chopped tomatoes. Some of the items were brought into the EU from Russia's Kaliningrad exclave. While there is no evidence of a link to the Leipzig drone bomb, the 2024 plot highlights the potential for hybrid warfare. Andrei Soldatov, an expert on Russia's intelligence agencies, suggests that Moscow's motives for such an attack would likely be to sow fear, emphasizing their pattern of sabotage and hostile activity.