LKA Sachsen detected: Drone with explosives discovered at Leipzig airport

A drone equipped with an explosive device was discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport on Wednesday, prompting federal authorities to halt all flight operations and initiate urgent investigations. The incident led to the interruption of German Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt’s vacation, forcing him to travel to the airport for a security briefing with Saxony's interior minister, Armin Schuster, and top officials from federal and state security agencies. Dobrindt is expected to address the press later in the evening. The drone was found within the secured area of the freight operations zone near one of the runways by a staff member at the airport, according to the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) of Saxony. The LKA confirmed that the drone was fitted with an “unknown explosive mechanism” and took over the investigation into the incident on Wednesday. As a result, all flights were suspended immediately. In addition to the discovery of the drone, another incident occurred during the disruption. A cargo plane, unable to land due to the closure, had to take off again and collided mid-air with an unidentified flying object. It is unclear whether this object was also a drone. A spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of the Interior confirmed the collision, and media reports identified the aircraft as belonging to DHL. Upon landing in Hanover, minor damage was detected on the plane, according to the LKA. Investigations into the drone have been conducted overnight with the assistance of the federal police and a bomb disposal robot. A specialized unit from the federal police removed the detonator of the explosive device, as reported by the news agency dpa. According to media reports, the drone was found near several Ukrainian cargo planes. The inquiry is being handled by the Central Office for Extremism in Saxony under the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Dresden and the Police Counter-Terrorism and Extremism Center (PTAZ) of the LKA Saxony. Authorities have not ruled out a political motive, which is why the PTAZ has been deployed. Airports fall under critical infrastructure, making them high-priority targets for such threats. Saxony’s interior minister, Armin Schuster (CDU), described the incidents on Wednesday as a “very serious security incident.” He stated that both state and federal security agencies have been working intensively since late night to investigate the case together. The joint center for countering hybrid threats and the drone defense units of the federal police are also involved. Schuster emphasized his ongoing communication with Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU). According to Leipzig police spokesman Olaf Hoppe, drones are frequently spotted at the airport located in northern Leipzig. Sometimes these flying objects cannot even be identified. Regarding the aerial collision, he noted that currently, they do not know what kind of object it was. It is essential to determine what this object was and whether it is connected to the drone found on the ground. He clarified that unauthorized individuals should not be able to access the runway area freely. It seems likely that the mentioned object came down from the air to the ground. Passenger planes and several cargo aircraft were redirected to other airports following the discovery, according to the Saxony state police early on Thursday morning. The police stated there was no danger to the public. Flight operations resumed at 1:55 AM and are running normally.