Germany has invited Poland, the Baltic states, Norway, Denmark and Sweden to security talks following an incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport in which an explosive-laden drone was discovered on airport grounds, German news agency dpa reported.
The meeting is scheduled for late August and comes after Wednesday’s security scare, which prompted the temporary closure of one of Europe’s most important cargo airports.
Leipzig/Halle Airport is a key hub for European freight traffic and military logistics. It also serves as an operational base for Ukrainian cargo carrier Antonov Airlines. The drone carrying explosives was found near several Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft, among the world’s largest transport planes.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the incident as “a new threat scenario” in hybrid warfare and said the involvement of a foreign state could not be ruled out.
“For the first time, it was not simply a drone at an airport, but a drone carrying explosives,” Dobrindt told German public broadcaster ARD.
