Explosive-Equipped Drone Found at Leipzig Airport After In-Flight Collision Forces DHL Jet to Divert

Overview

• Police found a drone carrying an explosive device near the south runway at Leipzig/Halle and used a bomb-disposal robot to render it safe; there were no injuries reported.
• A DHL cargo plane struck an unidentified object shortly after takeoff and made an unscheduled landing in Hanover with only minor front-end damage.
• The discovery and the collision forced temporary closures and flight diversions at the airport, but most operations had resumed by morning.
• German anti-terror prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation, NATO said it is following the case, and federal police have raised the possibility of foreign agents being involved while Russia denies responsibility.
• Leipzig/Halle is a major logistics hub for commercial cargo and shipments to Ukraine, which officials say makes the incident a worrying example of an escalation from surveillance overflights to weaponized drone threats and could prompt tighter security and freight checks.