Explosive-laden drone found at Leipzig Airport, represents "new threat scenario"
A drone laden with explosives was found on the tarmac near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport on Tuesday 4 August.
German authorities confirmed that a drone carrying an explosive device had been found near the airport's south runway, where cargo planes operate, forcing the temporary suspension of flights.
Police added that a second, unidentified flying object collided with a cargo plane after aborting its landing due to the runway closure. The plane sustained minor damage but landed safely at Hannover Airport instead.
A bomb disposal robot was subsequently deployed at the site of the first drone, and the detonator attached to the drone was removed. The German interior minister Alexander Dobrindt has said that the operation appeared to have been professionally planned and executed, and represents a "new threat scenario" for Germany.
According to a report in German newspaper Bild, investigators believe a technical malfunction may have prevented the device attached to the drone from detonating. Investigators are also examining the device to determine its origin and whether foreign actors could have been involved in the second incident that briefly forced the suspension of flights.
During a news briefing on Wednesday, interior minister Dobrindt said: "Drone sightings, drone threats including in a hybrid context, are something we know from the past," and that a "drone armed with explosives is at an airport is a new threat scenario".
He also added that Germany was "dealing with a competition [...] which may also include foreign powers".
New details emerge
New details about the incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport emerged throughout Thursday 6 August. According to various German sources cited by GeoInsider, one of the Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft parked next to the drone was loaded with military ammunition that had recently arrived from France and was awaiting onward transport.
Investigators say the drone was first seen hovering between two Antonov cargo aircraft before being forced to the ground by an airport employee, after which authorities discovered the attached explosive device.
Surveillance footage reportedly shows the drone entered the airport from the south at around 19:28, landed on the apron and remained there for several hours before being spotted shortly before midnight. The drone is believed to have been likely modified to evade counter-drone systems, which reportedly failed to detect it.
Authorities are also investigating the second incident that occurred after the airport was temporarily closed, with investigators believing the object may have been another drone. A bird strike has reportedly been deemed unlikely after forensic testing.
According to the German publication Die Zeit, federal authorities have already started to procure and install specialised equipment across several of Germany’s eight designated critical infrastructure airports, including the country’s largest hub in Frankfurt.
