Germany Investigates Explosive Drone Attacks Near Leipzig Airport

German authorities discovered three explosive-laden drones near Leipzig-Halle airport in August, targeting a critical European air freight hub used for NATO and Ukraine military supplies. The first device, containing Semtex and PETN, was found on August 4 near a Ukrainian Antonov 124 transport plane. A second defective drone containing hexogen (RDX) was discovered on August 14 in a field in Kabelsketal, and a third device with approximately 50 grams of hexogen was later found west of the airport.

Friedrich Merz, the Chancellor of Germany, stated that the country has increasingly become a target for hybrid attackers and pledged that perpetrators would pay a price. While the German government has refrained from making direct public accusations, U.S. intelligence sources identified the structure and explosives of the first drone as typical of those used by Russia's Military Intelligence Directorate. Investigators are also examining a suspicious mid-air collision between a drone and a DHL postal plane that occurred on August 4.

Russian officials, including the Foreign Intelligence Service, have denied any involvement, accusing European politicians of reaching conclusions before the investigation's completion. German security agencies continue to work intensively on the case, which officials believe aimed to delay armament shipments to Ukraine and warn Germany against its support for the war effort.