A bomb-disposal robot and a forensic technician worked near a Ukrainian aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Schkeuditz, Germany. They addressed a critical incident on Wednesday, August 5, 2026. Authorities found and defused a drone carrying an explosive device.
Following the discovery, both airport runways, vital for freight operations, were temporarily closed. Several flights, including a passenger plane, were diverted as a precaution. The incident began when an object was spotted near the airport shortly before midnight on Tuesday.
An anti-explosives robot was deployed near the south runway where an airport employee had discovered a drone with an unidentified explosive attached. The police successfully removed the detonator from the device.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt highlighted the severity of the situation, stating it posed a “new quality of danger”. He explained that while drone incidents are not new, a drone carrying explosives at an airport is unprecedented. Dobrindt labeled the event a “hybrid attack scenario” but did not provide more details on the potential suspects or the device specifics. These elements remain under investigation.
Saxony’s regional interior minister, Armin Schuster, reported that authorities were searching for fragments of a possible second drone. Regional police and prosecutors noted that another unidentified flying object collided with a freight aircraft. The plane, initially aborting its landing at Leipzig/Halle, continued to Hannover Airport approximately 200 kilometers away. Upon inspection, minor damage was found on the aircraft.
The north runway reopened after two hours, whereas the south runway remained scheduled for maintenance on Wednesday. During this situation, no passengers or staff were at risk, and day flights were not disrupted.
Images captured at the scene showed police technicians operating an explosives-disposal robot near a Ukrainian plane. The airport, recognized as a significant cargo hub, houses various aircraft, including Ukrainian Antonov transport planes.
Though NATO acknowledged awareness of the incident, they redirected questions to German officials. This recent event follows a 2024 incident when an incendiary device triggered a fire at the airport. Western security attributed that plot to influences suspected from Russian intelligence. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western authorities have held Russia responsible for multiple incidents across Europe.