Drone found at German airport after DHL cargo plane collides with unknown object mid-air

German authorities on Wednesday confirmed an incident that forced a DHL cargo plane to make an emergency landing after it collided with an unknown object while climbing out of Leipzig airport. Police later discovered a drone on the ground at the airport.

According to Germany's Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation, the DHL aircraft struck something above Leipzig before landing safely in Hanover. The tabloid Bild reported minor damage to the nose section of the plane.

DHL, which operates a major hub in Leipzig, confirmed an "incident" near the airport that authorities are investigating.

Separately overnight, a Nato spokesperson told German news agency DPA that a drone was spotted near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft at Leipzig airport. Security sources said the drone was equipped with explosives and a detonator.

An interior ministry spokesperson confirmed that a drone had been found at the airport but declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation. Several aircraft, including a passenger plane from Mallorca, were diverted, and operations at the northern part of the airport resumed only two hours later. The southern runway, where the drone was found, remained closed. Police used a bomb disposal robot to examine the object and are investigating whether the two incidents are linked.

Germany and other European countries have faced a series of suspicious unauthorized drone overflights at airports, military facilities, ports, and logistics companies. Some of these flights have been blamed on Russian agents, though Moscow has repeatedly denied involvement.

In 2024, European security agencies investigated incendiary devices hidden in parcels that caught fire, raising concerns about sabotage targeting air cargo operators. Some of these devices were found at a DHL warehouse in Leipzig and in freight shipments in transit across Europe.

The German interior ministry spokesperson declined to comment on any possible connection between the overnight incident and the 2024 case in Leipzig.

DHL chief executive Tobias Meyer said the company is studying the events. "We've got plans for cases like this, and we'll try to make sure that the influence on our customers will be as low as possible," he said during a quarterly results call, according to Reuters.

Germany is the largest single national supplier of military aid to Ukraine and has accused Russia of orchestrating a campaign of sabotage, espionage, and disinformation against it. Moscow denies these accusations.

Last year, a Chinese national was convicted for passing information about flight schedules and cargo movements at Leipzig-Halle airport to a man spying for Beijing.