German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said a drone carrying a suspicious explosive device at Leipzig/Halle airport represents a professional hybrid threat. He described the discovery as a new dimension in security threats and said foreign powers may be involved.
Dobrindt said nothing in the case suggests the action was the work of an amateur. He added that thinking a single measure could address the threat would be naive, noting the incident aims to create a feeling of insecurity in Germany. He refused to speculate on motives or identities, saying those details belong to the investigation.
Leipzig airport drone incident
Air traffic at the eastern German airport was stopped for two hours overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday after investigators found the unmanned aircraft. German investigators neutralized the unknown explosive device carried by the drone.
Following the maneuver, a DHL cargo plane that aborted its landing approach collided in mid-air with an unknown object a few kilometers from the airport. The plane suffered light damage, which was discovered after its arrival in Hanover in northwestern Germany.
Leipzig/Halle airport is one of the most important logistics hubs in Germany. It plays a key role in transporting military and civilian material to Ukraine, which Berlin has supported since the Russian invasion began.
Separately, far-right youths arrested in March received prison sentences of up to five years for planning or carrying out terrorist attacks against migrants and leftist citizens.
