Bus driver stops explosive-laden drone at major German NATO logistics hub

On Tuesday night, a bus driver at Leipzig/Halle airport thwarted what could have been a devastating attack by knocking an explosive-laden drone out of the sky, a senior lawmaker said on Friday. The drone, packed with professional explosives and a detonator, was spotted flying low by the bus driver while he was working at the airport, which serves as a critical NATO and cargo logistics hub.

In a courageous but dangerous move, the driver kicked the drone away, causing it to crash nearby, prosecutors said. The incident, which authorities have launched a counterterrorism probe into, could have had significant implications for both foreign and domestic security. Leipzig/Halle is home to NATO's Strategic Airlift International Solution (SALIS), a key component of the defense pact's eastern flank operations.

The airport also hosts logistics companies like DHL. German authorities have previously accused Russia of carrying out hybrid attacks, though Moscow has denied these claims. The man who stopped the drone has not been identified and the origin of the device remains unknown. Leipzig/Halle is reportedly one of several airports where authorities found the drone close to Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo airplanes.

Police are currently gathering evidence at the crash site. German Interior Minister Armin Schuster commended the bus driver's actions, while stressing that his intervention should not be emulated due to the risks involved. Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a call with key government officials to discuss the incident.