BERLIN: A German explosive drone found at Leipzig/Halle Airport in the country’s east likely belonged to the Russian government.
The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials familiar with intelligence assessments An airport employee discovered the device in a secure cargo area near the southern runway late on August 4. Ukrainian Antonov Airlines cargo aircraft were parked nearby.
Leipzig police recorded the initial sighting at about 11:40 p.m. Central European Summer Time on August 4. Authorities suspended airport operations and diverted several aircraft.
A federal police bomb-disposal unit used a robot to examine the drone and remove the detonator from its explosive attachment, the Saxony state government said.
Investigative reporting by NDR, WDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung identified PETN and Semtex in the device. The detonator had apparently separated from the explosive package, rendering it inoperable, Tagesschau reported.
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Authorities also investigated a suspected second flying object that struck a cargo plane after the aircraft aborted its landing because of the runway closure. The plane sustained minor damage and landed safely in Hanover.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the incident as a hybrid attack scenario and a new level of danger. He did not publicly accuse Russia.
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The Dresden Public Prosecutor General’s Office and the Saxony State Criminal Police Office opened a terrorism and extremism investigation. German authorities had not identified the drone’s operator or confirmed the US intelligence attribution.
