The Ukrainian plane in Leipzig, near which a drone was found, was carrying ammunition, according to media reports
6 August 18:45
The Ukrainian aircraft in Leipzig, near which a drone had been spotted the day before, was carrying ammunition, according to German media outlets SZ, NDR, and WDR, citing a confidential police report, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
“The drone hovered between two An-124 cargo planes belonging to the Ukrainian airline Antonov. One of them was loaded with military ammunition from France, which was likely intended for onward transport,” the media outlets report.
Bomb disposal experts removed the detonator and discovered that a packet of Semtex explosives—used by both the military and in industry—had likely been attached to the drone.
“The airport’s security system did not detect the drone. The German Interior Ministry suspects that it was deliberately modified to bypass the system,” media reports state.
Tagesschau adds that camera footage showed the drone had entered the airport’s airspace four hours before it was spotted. In addition, the airport closed its airspace immediately following the incident. A DHL cargo plane that was about to land had to turn around at a speed of 500 km/h and collided with an unknown object in the air.
Investigators suspect it may have been a second drone. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that no Ukrainian aircraft were damaged as a result of this incident.
What the surveillance camera footage showed
According to WDR, NDR, and SZ, investigators have already analyzed surveillance camera footage from the airport.
A review of the footage from the security control center—the airport’s central monitoring and coordination hub—showed that the drone likely flew into the airport from the south as early as 7:28 p.m., and then landed in the parking lot.
It is reported that the video footage shows no signs that the drone took off again. However, it is most likely that a few hours later, the drone was hovering at a low altitude among parked Ukrainian cargo planes when it was spotted by an airport employee.
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What is known about the airport
According to the Ministry of Defense, no Bundeswehr military transport operations were taking place at the airport at the time in question.
Leipzig/Halle Airport is generally considered an important hub and logistics center for the military. According to official reports, Ukraine has also been using this airport as an alternative location for transporting military cargo since the start of the full-scale invasion.
After a suspicious drone was detected, air traffic was temporarily suspended. As a result, a DHL cargo plane arriving from Marseille that was scheduled to land was forced to take off again.
According to internal agency reports, the aircraft collided with an object at a speed of approximately 500 km/h near the airport fence. This object may have been another drone.
The DHL aircraft, which investigators believe was carrying hazardous cargo, was able to continue its flight and was rerouted to Hannover Airport. Experts detected damage to the front of the aircraft.
The crew members have already been questioned by the Saxony State Criminal Police Office, and the aircraft is to undergo further forensic examination. In particular, the flight data recorder will be analyzed.
Investigation into the Drone
At the same time, it is reported that the investigation continues to focus primarily on the drone equipped with explosives.
Bomb disposal experts from the Saxony State Criminal Police Office (LKA) were able to remove the detonator so that further examination of the drone could be conducted. According to reports, a package of explosives roughly the size of a fist was attached to the drone. Numerous analyses of the substance have shown that it is likely “Semtex”—an explosive used for both military and industrial purposes.
What Happened Earlier
As a reminder, on the night of August 5, a drone carrying explosives was discovered near a Ukrainian An-124 “Ruslan” aircraft at the Leipzig airport in Germany. As a result, flights were suspended.
The German Federal Office dispatched bomb disposal experts and planned to detonate the explosive—they were to use a robot, but it is currently unknown whether the detonation took place. This occurred in the cargo area, which, according to an airport spokesperson, is separated from the passenger aircraft apron.
Overnight, several planes, including a passenger plane, were rerouted, but flights returned to normal in the morning. In addition, a cargo plane that was unable to land due to the closure collided with another object near the airport at an altitude of several hundred meters. It sustained minor damage.
Police classified the incident as a crime related to national security. They have not ruled out the possibility of a sabotage attack. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt called it “a new level of danger.”
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