The GRU’s dud drone: How Russian intelligence botched a sabotage plot at Leipzig airport

On August 4, a drone carrying explosives crashed into the wing of a Ukrainian An-124 cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany. The device failed to detonate, and the drone was discovered by a bus driver later that day. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt suspected Russian responsibility for the attempted attack, citing intelligence data.

The suspects identified were Oleg L. and Andrei K., both linked to the GRU, with one being Latvian. The Insider managed to identify the perpetrators and prove GRU involvement in organizing the sabotage operation. Colonel Denis Smolyaninov, a GRU officer, was seen with arms dealer Andrei Usachev and knife-throwing coach Vladimir Trofimov in January 2026.

Usachev, formerly involved in an armed robbery and weapons trafficking, had connections to the GRU. Usachev's company, "Oruzheynaya Palata," produced a cheap Chinese drone, the SkyfendHunter SHH100, which later became relevant in the investigation. Andrei Karshakov, a Belarusian resident in Russia, played a key role in the operation, having participated in an arson attack two years prior.

Karshakov and another Belarusian, Maksim Lapunov, traveled to Germany around the time of the incident, with Lapunov making cross-border trips in preparation.