Drone Incident Disrupts German Airport Near Ukrainian Cargo Plane, Sparks Security Investigation

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — German authorities launched a major security operation at Leipzig-Halle Airport overnight after a drone was discovered on the tarmac near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft, forcing flight diversions and prompting an investigation into a possible act of sabotage.

Police deployed a bomb disposal robot to examine the object after it was found near an Antonov Airlines cargo plane based at the eastern German airport, which serves as a key logistics hub for military shipments, including cargo transported by the German armed forces and NATO allies.

The incident also affected an aircraft that had been scheduled to land at Leipzig-Halle. After aborting its approach, the plane collided with an unidentified object while airborne before safely diverting to another airport, a German government spokesman confirmed.

Authorities have not identified the object involved in the mid-air collision or disclosed whether it was related to the drone investigation.

German tabloid Bild reported that the drone found on the tarmac carried explosives and a detonator. However, police declined to confirm the report, saying the investigation remains ongoing.

Video footage from a local news agency showed the bomb disposal robot operating near an Antonov cargo aircraft painted in Ukraine's blue and yellow national colors and bearing the slogan, "Be Brave Like Kherson," a reference to the southern Ukrainian region heavily affected by Russian attacks.

According to Bild, the aircraft involved in the mid-air collision was a DHL cargo plane that struck an unidentified object about six kilometers from Leipzig-Halle Airport. The aircraft reportedly sustained minor damage to its nose before landing safely at Hanover Airport.

German police said the airport suspended operations shortly before midnight after "an unidentified flying object" was detected near the airport.

"Shortly before midnight, an unidentified flying object was sighted near Leipzig-Halle Airport, prompting the diversion of several aircraft—including a passenger plane—to other airports," police said in a statement.

A passenger flight arriving from Mallorca, along with several cargo aircraft, was diverted while authorities secured the area.

Police said another object was later detected near the airport's southern runway and examined using an explosives disposal robot. They did not disclose whether the object was destroyed or safely removed.

Flight operations resumed during the early hours of Wednesday using only the northern runway while investigators continued examining the southern section of the airport.

An Interior Ministry spokesman later confirmed only that a drone had been found at Leipzig-Halle Airport, declining to provide additional details because of the ongoing investigation.

Regarding the aircraft incident, the spokesman said the plane "was meant to land in Leipzig but then had to abort the landing" before colliding with an object. He confirmed the aircraft landed safely but offered no further information.

Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, suggested Russia was likely responsible for the incident.

"Who else could it be but Russia?" he told Welt TV.

Makeiev argued that the latest incident fits a broader pattern of Russian hybrid warfare targeting Europe.

"Indeed, Russia has long been waging this hybrid war," he said. "Yet the word 'hybrid' somehow downplays the fact that Russia is waging war not only against Ukraine but also against Europe."

Germany and several other European countries have reported repeated drone sightings over sensitive infrastructure, including airports, military installations, and industrial facilities.

German authorities have previously accused Russia of orchestrating sabotage, espionage, and disinformation campaigns across Europe, allegations Moscow has consistently denied.

Leipzig-Halle Airport has previously been linked to suspected sabotage operations. In July 2024, a parcel caught fire before it could be loaded onto a DHL cargo aircraft, an incident German security services investigated as part of a suspected Russia-linked arson plot.

The airport has also been the focus of espionage investigations. Last year, a Chinese national was convicted of passing information on flight schedules and cargo movements at Leipzig-Halle Airport to an individual accused of spying for Beijing.

Authorities have not publicly attributed Wednesday's incident to any state actor, and investigations remain ongoing.