Drone with detonator found near Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig airport

Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany suspended operations overnight into Aug. 5 after a drone with a detonator was found on the runway near a Ukrainian An-124 cargo aircraft, according to reports by Bild and several other German outlets. Police have not ruled out sabotage and are searching for the drone operator.

The German news program Tagesschau, citing NDR, WDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung, reported that according to a police report, an “unknown substance,” possibly of an “explosive” nature, was attached to the drone found by airport staff. The outlets also confirmed that the drone was located near the Ukrainian An-124, as Bild first reported.

As a result of the incident, airport operations were temporarily suspended, and aircraft, including civilian planes, had to use alternate routes.

After the airport was closed, another cargo aircraft was unable to land in Leipzig. It was diverted to Hanover, but while in the air over Leipzig airport, it collided with another unknown object “at an altitude of several hundred meters.” In Hannover, police recorded minor damage to the front of the aircraft. Lower Saxony police are treating the incident as a possible state security offense.

German news program Tagesschau noted that Leipzig/Halle Airport is a key hub for Western arms deliveries to Ukraine. Two years ago, a package exploded there shortly before it was to be loaded onto a DHL aircraft. And in 2024, explosive devices were found in packages handled by DHL and DPD. Related blasts also occurred in a truck in Poland and at a warehouse in the UK.

In connection with those incidents, Lithuanian authorities charged 15 suspects, including citizens of Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Ukraine. Lithuania’s Prosecutor General’s Office linked the incidents to Russian military intelligence. Five defendants are now on trial in Poland over a series of explosions allegedly carried out on behalf of Russian intelligence services.

Tagesschau said drone sightings near German airports have become more frequent, with 145 disruptions recorded in the first half of 2026 alone.