Key facts
- US intelligence suspects Moscow is behind a drone incident at Leipzig airport.
- A drone carrying explosives was found near a Ukrainian transport plane at Leipzig airport.
- A second drone collided with a DHL cargo plane at the same airport.
- Drones were also detected over a German military base in Mechernich.
- The Mechernich base reportedly repairs US-made Patriot air defense systems.
US intelligence believes a drone carrying explosives found at Germany's Leipzig airport on August 4 likely belongs to Moscow, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing U.S. intelligence. This incident occurred days after two drones were detected over a military base in Mechernich, western Germany, on August 7. The Mechernich base reportedly repairs U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems, which are crucial for Ukraine's defense against Russian aerial attacks.
At Leipzig airport, flights were suspended after a modified drone carrying Semtex explosive was found next to a Ukrainian Antonov Airlines An-124 transport aircraft, which was carrying unspecified military ammunition. A second unidentified flying object collided with an incoming DHL cargo plane. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the Leipzig incident as a "hybrid attack scenario" and a "new threat scenario," suggesting foreign powers could be involved.
U.S. intelligence reports have raised alarms that Russian President Vladimir Putin might provoke a NATO nation with a limited attack, a sentiment echoed by European officials. Suspected Russian-linked drone incidents have repeatedly disrupted airports across Europe.