Key facts
- German investigators found a third drone and suspected explosives linked to an attempted attack on Leipzig/Halle airport.
- The drone and suspected hexogen explosive were discovered west of the airport.
- Security sources suspect Russian intelligence involvement in the attempted attack.
- The airport is a cargo and military logistics hub used by NATO and Ukraine's Antonov Airlines.
German investigators have discovered a third drone and suspected explosives linked to an attempted attack on Leipzig/Halle airport, according to media reports. The drone was found on August 14, west of the airport, where approximately 50 grams of a substance believed to be the military explosive hexogen were also discovered.
Security sources cited in the reports suspect Russian intelligence involvement in the attempted attack, an accusation that Moscow has denied. Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt had previously warned that the incident marked a "new level of danger" and did not appear to be the work of amateurs, suggesting a "professional hybrid threat scenario" potentially involving foreign powers.
The incident on August 4 involved an explosives-laden drone discovered near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft. A second drone is suspected to have collided with a DHL cargo plane shortly after the airport's temporary shutdown. The Leipzig/Halle Airport serves as a crucial cargo and military logistics hub for NATO and Ukraine's Antonov Airlines.