German police appeal after explosive drone found at Leipzig airport cargo zone

German police have appealed for information after a drone carrying an explosive device was discovered in the cargo flight operations zone of Leipzig/Halle airport, prompting a state security investigation and the overnight suspension of flights at one of Europe’s busiest freight hubs.

Saxony’s state criminal and judicial authorities said the drone was found in a secured area near the southern runway shortly before midnight on the night of August 4–5, close to a Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft. An airport employee spotted the object, which authorities described as carrying an unknown explosive device.

Federal police deployed an explosives-disposal robot to examine the drone and removed its detonator. Authorities said there was no danger to travellers or airport staff, and normal operations had resumed by Wednesday.

A second flying object

Around the same time, a separate flying object collided with a freight aircraft that had aborted its landing because the runway was closed. The plane sustained minor damage and diverted safely to Hannover airport, where the damage was found during an inspection. Investigators believe the second object was also a drone, but it has not yet been recovered, and authorities have not said whether the two incidents are connected.

Flight operations were temporarily suspended following the discovery. The northern runway reopened later in the night after an inspection, while the southern runway remained out of use. Several aircraft, including a passenger plane, were diverted to other airports.

Investigation and attribution

The investigation has been taken over by prosecutors in Dresden, working alongside the state’s central office responsible for politically motivated and extremist crimes, together with counter-terrorism units. Authorities have not identified any suspects or attributed responsibility, and have not indicated that the Ukrainian aircraft was the intended target.

Investigators regard the case as a potentially serious escalation. According to reporting on the incident, it is the first known instance in which explosives have been found on a drone at a European airport, following a wave of unexplained drone sightings over airports, military bases and industrial sites across the continent.

German authorities, among Ukraine’s biggest military backers, have repeatedly said they suspect Russia of orchestrating many such incidents as part of a campaign of sabotage, espionage and disinformation. Officials have stressed, however, that responsibility for this case has not been established.

A recurring threat

Leipzig/Halle is Germany’s second-largest cargo airport, according to its operator, and has hosted Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines transport aircraft since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 destroyed their home base. The airport has featured in earlier security cases, including a 2024 incident involving an incendiary device sent through the parcel network.

The discovery adds to mounting concern across Europe about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to drones. German police have recorded more than a thousand suspicious drone flights during 2025, and the government has moved to expand police powers to detect and, in cases of acute threat, shoot down unauthorised drones, alongside the creation of a dedicated drone-defence unit and a joint national centre.

Police have urged anyone with information about the incident to come forward.