Олександр КузьменкоWar
8 August 2026, 09:53
2026-08-08
UPD A drone with explosives was found near Ukrainian planes in Germany: one of them had ammunition on board, and US intelligence points to a Russian trace
Flights at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany have been temporarily suspended after a drone carrying an explosive device and detonator was found near the southern runway, near the parking lot of Ukrainian Antonov transport aircraft.
Later, it became known, according to German police, that there was ammunition on one of the Ukrainian planes, and US intelligence linked the drone to the Russian Federation.
Flights at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany have been temporarily suspended after a drone carrying an explosive device and detonator was found near the southern runway, near the parking lot of Ukrainian Antonov transport aircraft.
Later, it became known, according to German police, that there was ammunition on one of the Ukrainian planes, and US intelligence linked the drone to the Russian Federation.
The BBC reports this, citing a local police spokesman. It is noted that an X-ray scan revealed a detonator inside, but it was faulty. The explosive device was likely made from fertilizer and gasoline.
Due to the threat, the airport diverted several flights, including a passenger plane from Mallorca, to other airports shortly before midnight. Police brought in a robot sapper to examine and defuse the find.
Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster called the event "a very serious security incident." He confirmed that a drone had been detected at the airport, but did not provide any further details.
In parallel, Bild reported another incident that evening: a cargo plane collided with an unknown object in mid-air shortly after taking off from Leipzig. The plane was able to land successfully in Hanover, where experts recorded minor damage to the nose.
In recent months, Germany has seen a surge in unauthorized drone flights over critical infrastructure sites — military bases, ports, energy terminals, and logistics hubs. The German Federal Police suspect that Russian agents may be behind these incidents.
UPD 06.08.2026 17:45 Added details from German media regarding ammunition
German newspapers (Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR and WDR) are reporting, citing a confidential police report, that the Ukrainian An-124 plane in Leipzig, next to which the drone was found, was carrying military ammunition. The cargo had been transported from France to Germany the day before and was likely planned to be transported further.
On the evening of August 4, a modified drone was discovered at Leipzig Airport, which flew in undetected by detection systems at 7:28 p.m. and hovered between two Ukrainian Antonov An-124 aircraft. A fist-sized explosive (presumably Semtex) was attached to the drone.
UPD 08.08.2026 9:50 Details from American intelligence added
A drone carrying explosives discovered this week at a German airport in Leipzig likely belongs to the Russian government, U.S. intelligence sources told The Wall Street Journal . While German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has so far refrained from making direct accusations, Western security officials suspect Moscow of orchestrating a series of sabotage attacks against European infrastructure.
The suspicions about the Russian footprint have emerged amid new assessments by US intelligence agencies about the growing threat from Putin to NATO's eastern flank. Analysts believe that in the coming years, the Kremlin could test the Alliance's resolve with a limited attack - from large-scale cyberattacks to small-scale ground incursions.
UPD. The Russians massively attacked Ukraine with ballistic missiles and jet drones at night. Among the targets were Nova Poshta, Rozetka, and Epicenter.
German Quantum Systems, which manufactures drones in Ukraine, has attracted $1.2 billion in investment and doubled its valuation. What will the funds be used for?
