• German police defused an explosive-laden drone found near a Ukrainian transport aircraft at Leipzig airport, prompting a terrorism investigation.
• Authorities have not ruled out a political motive for the incident, which led to the closure of both runways at Leipzig/Halle Airport and the diversion of several aircraft.
• The airport, which hosts a Ukrainian cargo fleet, has been the site of previous security incidents, including a suspected sabotage attempt in 2024, raising concerns about the need for stronger protection measures.

Leipzig, Germany - German police specialists defused a drone carrying an explosive device after it was found overnight at Leipzig airport, as terrorism investigators launched an inquiry into what authorities said on Wednesday could have been a politically motivated incident.

Officers removed the detonator from an explosive device of an as yet unknown type attached to the drone, the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) in the state of Saxony said.

Security sources told dpa the drone was discovered near a Ukrainian Antonov AN-124 Condor transport aircraft and examined using X-ray equipment after being secured by police.

The Dresden Public Prosecutor General's Office and the Police Counter-Terrorism and Extremism Centre, part of the LKA, have taken over the investigation.

Authorities said they could not rule out a political motive, noting that airports constitute part of Germany's critical infrastructure, but have not said anything more about a possible connection to Ukraine.

Several aircraft, including a passenger plane, were diverted after a drone was spotted shortly before midnight. Both of Leipzig/Halle Airport's runways were closed. The LKA said a drone was later found on the southern runway by an airport employee.

Meanwhile, another unidentified flying object in the skies over the Leipzig area raised alarm, too.

Investigators said they believe this object collided with a freight plane after the crew aborted its landing and was performing a go-around because the runway in Leipzig had been closed due to the earlier incident. The plane was diverted and landed safely in Hanover, where inspectors found minor damage.

Investigators cautioned that much about what happened overnight remains unclear.

For instance, authorities have not established whether the object first spotted in the sky was the explosive-laden drone later found on the runway near the Ukrainian transport aircraft.

Airport operations briefly suspended

The airport's northern runway reopened early Wednesday, while the southern runway was due to remain closed for the remainder of the day.

"There is no danger to the lives or safety of passengers or airport employees. Passenger air traffic is not affected," investigators said.

A police spokesman said unauthorized people could not simply access the airfield, making it likely that the device had come from the air.

Airport hosts Ukrainian cargo fleet

Leipzig/Halle Airport has served as a maintenance base for Ukrainian cargo carrier Antonov since 2006.

Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Antonov relocated its fleet to the eastern German airport, where six aircraft are now based. A new maintenance hangar is due to open in 2027.

The airport was also the scene of a suspected sabotage attempt in July 2024, when a parcel containing an incendiary device caught fire at DHL's logistics hub before it could be loaded onto an aircraft. Germany's Interior Ministry said it could not yet determine whether that incident was linked to the latest case.

Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, said he suspected Russia was behind the latest incident but provided no evidence.

"I hope the German authorities establish the facts. But who else could it have been besides Russia?" he told broadcaster Welt TV.

Officials call for stronger protection

Saxony's interior minister, Armin Schuster, described the events as "a very serious security incident."

He said state and federal authorities were working closely together, including the federal police's counter-drone unit.

The German Airports Association (ADV) urged the government to accelerate the deployment of drone detection and counter-drone systems at major airports, saying several, including Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Leipzig/Halle, were still waiting for equipment promised by the Interior Ministry.