A plane encountered an unidentified object while it was diverting from Leipzig’s airport, following the discovery of an explosive-laden drone on the airfield.
German airports are currently on heightened alert due to a series of unauthorized drone flights over critical sites, including military installations, energy facilities, seaports, and logistics centers.
According to a report from a German newspaper, the drone found at the airport was located close to a Ukrainian cargo aircraft.
In response to the explosive drone’s discovery near a runway at Leipzig/Halle airport, German authorities have initiated a counterterrorism investigation, leading to the temporary closure of areas within one of Europe’s largest cargo terminals.
Investigators are also looking into what a DHL cargo plane collided with while it was ascending away from the airport during the incident.
The drone was uncovered by airport personnel in a restricted cargo section near the southern runway during the early hours of Wednesday. As a result, flight operations were halted, and several planes, including those operated by the German logistics company DHL, were rerouted.
Officials confirmed that there was no threat to passengers or airport personnel, and most operations resumed by the following morning after the reopening of one runway.
Authorities reported that the diverted aircraft struck an unidentified object during its climb, and minor damage was noted after it landed in Hanover. Sources indicate that the aircraft was operated by DHL.
The southern runway of the airport, which serves as a key hub for both DHL and Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines, remained closed while explosives specialists assessed the drone and disarmed its detonator.
Germany’s Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, convened an emergency meeting with the leaders of the country’s security agencies to discuss the situation.
German airports are on high alert due to recent unauthorized drone flights over sensitive locations, including military bases and energy facilities.
The federal police have suggested that these overflights may be linked to Russian operatives.
Bild, a German newspaper, reported that the drone was located near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane, which has been using Leipzig/Halle as its operational base since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.
It was also noted that the explosive on the drone might be made from readily available materials such as fertilizer and gasoline.
Anti-extremism prosecutors and counterterrorism officials have taken charge of the investigation after experts confirmed that the drone was indeed carrying explosives.
European security agencies have been examining a series of incendiary devices hidden within parcels that ignited in 2024, raising alarms about potential sabotage targeting air cargo operators.
Some of these devices were discovered at a DHL facility in Leipzig and within freight shipments traveling across Europe.
A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry stated that no connections to the incident could be established at this time.
Russia has denied any involvement in either the 2024 incidents or the recent drone overflights.
