German interior minister suggests state actor behind drone attack
Germany’s interior minister has indicated that a foreign state may be behind an armed drone found at Leipzig Airport. The airport, a key NATO hub, also houses Ukrainian aircraft, and a separate incident saw an object strike a DHL plane.
German security authorities are investigating a suspected drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, with the federal interior minister suggesting that a foreign state could be responsible. The minister cautioned against jumping to conclusions, saying that while it is natural to want to identify the foreign powers involved, it would be reckless to give credence to speculation at this stage.
Leipzig Airport serves as a strategic hub for NATO, including military transports destined for Ukraine. It is also the largest European air cargo center for DHL and temporarily shelters Ukrainian Antonov aircraft, protecting them from Russian attacks. The explosive-laden drone was discovered just a few meters away from one of these planes.
Saxony’s interior minister, Armin Schuster, told ZDF that the find represents a suspected attack scenario. He noted that this is the first time a drone loaded with explosives has been found at the facility. “That’s new,” he said.
The drone was found by an airport worker on Tuesday evening. Bomb disposal officers disarmed the device by removing its detonator, which had failed to go off. In a separate incident at the same airport, another flying object struck a DHL cargo aircraft as it was being diverted away from the airport after the discovery of the drone.
