Explosive-laden drone found at Leipzig Airport: Germany examines 'hybrid attack' theory
BERLIN – German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said an unidentified explosive device discovered on a drone at Leipzig/Halle Airport marks a new threat scenario, adding that a hybrid attack is among the possibilities under review.
RastinewsBERLIN – German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the discovery of a drone carrying an explosive device at Leipzig/Halle Airport as a "new threat scenario," saying the incident may have been professionally planned and that authorities are examining the possibility of a hybrid attack.
An airport employee spotted the explosive-laden drone late Wednesday in a security zone near the cargo section. Saxony's State Criminal Police Office (LKA) said bomb disposal units had defused the unidentified explosive device attached to the drone.
Dobrindt said the operation bore no signs of amateur work. "This level of technical knowledge and experience with explosives points to professional preparation. We are looking at a hybrid threat scenario here," he said.
Warning that similar incidents could recur, Germany activated its federal and state-level Hybrid Defense Center and Drone Defense Center. Dobrindt said drone defense systems would be strengthened at critical infrastructure sites, airports first among them.
The Saxony public prosecutor's office, which is leading the investigation, said it was examining every possibility, including extremist or terrorist motives, as it works to identify the perpetrators, trace the source of the explosive and establish any wider connections.
The interior minister stopped short of directly blaming any country, though some German security experts suggested the incident fits a pattern of hybrid operations Russia has conducted against Germany.
Flights at Leipzig/Halle Airport were briefly suspended after the drone was found. Several planes were diverted to other airports, and a DHL cargo aircraft that landed in Hannover sustained minor damage after apparently colliding with another object in the air. Authorities are also investigating whether a second drone was involved.
The opposition Greens have called for Chancellor Friedrich Merz to convene an emergency meeting of the National Security Council over the incident.
Kaynak: DW