An airport in Germany had to shut down its runway when a drone carrying what seems to be a detonator was discovered near a Ukrainian aircraft. The drone, suspected to be an explosive device, was located at Leipzig/Halle Airport late last night.
The device was found in close proximity to a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane, leading to the closure of the airport’s southern runway for investigation by explosives disposal experts. Authorities are also looking into reports of an unidentified flying object potentially related to the incident from the previous night.
Following the runway closure, a DHL cargo plane had to abort its landing at the airport and reportedly encountered an unknown object about 400 meters above the ground, approximately six kilometers away from the airport. The plane sustained damage, which was observed after it landed safely at Hanover.
Several unauthorized drone flights have been reported in various locations across Germany recently, prompting heightened security measures at sites like military installations, seaports, logistics centers, and energy facilities, including airports.
A bomb disposal team was dispatched to Leipzig/Halle Airport around midnight after the discovery of the drone. Attached to the drone was a mass identified as explosive material with a detonator. Fortunately, the explosive was defective, preventing any detonation, as per reports from Bild.
Initial plans by the German Federal Police for a remote detonation of the object have now shifted to securing the drone and package in a specialized container for further examination for potential evidence. NATO investigators are also set to join the probe, given that four Ukrainian aircraft were reportedly near the drone bomb. Despite ongoing investigations at the airport, passenger flights remain unaffected, according to German media reports.