Germany investigates multiple drones involved in Leipzig airport incident

A joint investigation by German broadcasters NDR and WDR together with the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung has concluded that multiple drones were likely involved in a suspected sabotage attempt at Leipzig airport on August 4, targeting a Ukrainian An-124 cargo aircraft. The findings were published on Tuesday, August 25.

According to the outlets, one drone equipped with explosives was found near several Ukrainian cargo planes. A second drone apparently struck a DHL cargo aircraft just minutes after the first was discovered — reportedly at the height of the airport perimeter fence, while the plane was traveling at several hundred kilometers per hour. Seconds earlier, the pilots had spotted an object roughly 30 centimeters in size.

An inspection of the DHL aircraft's tail found damage consistent with a collision with a foreign object. However, neither the drone itself nor its fragments have been located — investigators believe it may have been drawn into the engines and shattered into tiny pieces.

A third drone found ten days later

Security sources told the outlets that a third drone was found on August 14 — ten days after the incident — in a field west of the airport. Investigators discovered around 50 grams of a substance nearby, preliminarily assessed as RDX explosive. The report suggests the perpetrators may have been planning a much larger attack than previously assumed.

Russian intelligence services are suspected of involvement, but German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on August 19 that the government does not yet have sufficient data to conclusively assess what happened. Leipzig/Halle Airport is one of Germany's most important cargo hubs and also serves as a major logistics center for military transport.