According to German media reports, following the discovery of a 'bomb drone' at Leipzig Airport earlier this month, German investigation authorities found more remote-controlled drones near the airport after ten days.
On August 5th, German police announced that a DHL cargo plane had struck an unknown object shortly after landing at Leipzig Airport in Saxony on the evening of the 4th. The plane abandoned its attempt to land and turned to Hanover Airport instead. Bird strikes were ruled out, and it was confirmed that the object hit was a drone. Reuters reported that this airport is a major hub for NATO and Antonov Airlines in transporting military supplies to Kyiv.
Just twenty days after the incident, German TV channel 1’s “Today News” and Deutsche Welle among other media reported on the 25th that on the evening of August 14th, investigators discovered a third drone in a field on the west side of the airport. A spokesman for the Federal Prosecutor’s Office declined to comment further when asked about this matter.
According to reports, technicians from the German Federal Criminal Police Department and additional police forces arrived at the scene on that day. Investigators also discovered approximately 50 grams of substance suspected to be explosives the next day. It is preliminarily determined that this may be high-performance military explosive, RDX. Security authorities suspect that the attacker might have planned an attack with a larger scale than previously known.
Previously, German police also found ‘devices that could be used to control drones’ in Kiersdorf, north of Leipzig Airport. These included an antenna attached to a tree using tape, along with other electronic equipment. Nearby witnesses said they heard a loud noise around 7:20 AM, several hours before the bomb drone was discovered at the airport on the evening of April 4th. Investigators also found ‘charred soil and metal debris’ nearby, suggesting an explosion had taken place.
Currently, Germany's main suspects are Russian intelligence agencies. Although it is still unclear how the attack was planned and who the real behind-the-scenes operators are, sources from Germany's security authorities speculate that Russian intelligence agencies were involved in the planning of the event. Russia has publicly denied any involvement in several drone incidents.
The report indicates that German investigators are tracing the relevant clues based on DNA samples found at the scene. German Chancellor Merz stated on the 25th that the German government will ‘announce soon’ who is responsible for this series of drone attacks at Leipzig Airport.
