Key facts
- A drone carrying explosives was found at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany.
- US intelligence suspects the drone belongs to Moscow.
- The incident occurred near a Ukrainian cargo plane loaded with ammunition.
- German Interior Minister described the event as a 'hybrid attack scenario'.
- US intelligence warns of potential Russian provocations against NATO nations.
US intelligence agencies suspect that a drone carrying explosives, discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany, likely belongs to Moscow, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The incident occurred on August 4, when a drone targeted a Ukrainian cargo plane loaded with ammunition. Flights were suspended overnight on August 5 after the drone was found near a Ukrainian Antonov Airlines An-124 aircraft, and a second unidentified object collided with a DHL cargo plane. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt characterized the event as a 'hybrid attack scenario,' a tactic Russia has employed to destabilize European countries. This development aligns with recent warnings from European officials and a shift in US intelligence assessments, which now suggest Russian President Vladimir Putin might provoke a NATO nation with a limited attack as early as this fall. The Antonov Airlines plane was reportedly carrying unspecified military ammunition from France to Leipzig at the time of the incident. The drone was said to be carrying Semtex explosive, and those responsible have not yet been identified. Suspected Russian-linked drone incidents have previously disrupted European airports.