Drone found hovering near Ukrainian cargo plane at German airport
▼ Summary
– A drone carrying explosives was found near Ukrainian An-124 cargo aircraft at Leipzig airport and disarmed by police using a bomb disposal robot.
– The drone carried a fist-sized package of suspected Semtex, but a failed detonator prevented an explosion; it was modified to evade airport drone defense sensors.
– German authorities denied reports that the targeted Ukrainian aircraft were carrying weapons, stating the planes were empty at the time of the incident.
– The airport closed for several hours, diverting 19 flights, including a DHL Boeing 757 that collided with an unknown object midair, possibly a second drone, and landed with minor damage.
– German officials opened a counterterrorism investigation, with Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt calling the incident a “hybrid threat scenario” possibly involving foreign powers.
German authorities are investigating a drone attack attempt at Leipzig/Halle airport after an explosive-laden unmanned aircraft was discovered near a Ukrainian cargo plane, with a second potential drone now under scrutiny following a midair collision involving an incoming flight.
The initial drone was spotted by an airport worker just before midnight on August 4, hovering low to the ground between two parked An-124 aircraft operated by Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines, as reported by The Guardian. The device had been altered to evade the airport’s drone detection systems, according to Alexander Dobrindt, Germany’s federal interior minister, who addressed the media at a press conference.
Dobrindt stated that the drone carried a fist-sized package containing what is believed to be the plastic explosive Semtex. The device failed to detonate only because of a defective detonator, preventing what could have been a catastrophic explosion near the Ukrainian aircraft.
A bomb disposal robot was deployed by German police to neutralize the drone, which was later destroyed in a controlled detonation, according to BBC News.
Despite speculation in some media outlets, Germany’s Interior Ministry has refuted claims that the targeted Ukrainian cargo planes were transporting weapons or munitions for delivery to Ukraine, as reported by Deutsche Welle. Officials have clarified that the aircraft were empty at the time of the incident.
The disruption forced Leipzig/Halle airport, one of Europe’s premier air cargo hubs, to suspend all air traffic for several hours. This resulted in 19 flights being redirected, including a DHL-operated Boeing 757 that had to abandon its landing approach, per flight tracking data from Flightradar24.
As the DHL aircraft climbed back into the air, it struck an unidentified object midair and was forced to land at Hanover airport with minor damage, German police reported in a statement. Authorities are now investigating whether that object was a second drone.
While no suspect has been officially named, German prosecutors have launched a counterterrorism inquiry. Dobrindt acknowledged the severity of the situation, noting that “we are dealing with a contest here that possibly involves foreign powers,” and characterized the event as a “hybrid threat scenario.”
(Source: Ars Technica)