German investigators find third drone, explosives after failed airport attack

Security sources cited by broadcasters NDR and WDR, and the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, suspect Russian intelligence involvement in the incident, though Moscow has denied any connection. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the incident as an apparent "hybrid attack scenario" orchestrated by a state actor. The Leipzig/Halle Airport is a significant cargo and military logistics hub utilized by NATO and Ukraine's Antonov Airlines for transporting military supplies. The initial incident on August 4 involved an explosives-laden drone found near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane, which did not detonate. Shortly after, a second drone may have collided with a DHL cargo plane, forcing it to abort its landing. Inspection of the DHL aircraft revealed damage to its tail section, though the drone itself has not been recovered.

Investigators also found an antenna and electronic parts near the airport, potentially used for drone control, along with a burnt patch and charred metal fragments. Officials have indicated that if the drones had exploded, they could have caused a catastrophe.