How could a drone laden with explosives fly unhindered into Leipzig/Halle airport, where it remained apparently unnoticed for several hours? After last week's incident, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt spoke of a "hybrid attack scenario" which he suspected came from "foreign powers."
Suspicion has been directed at Russia, also because the drone was said to have been located near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane. The Federal Prosecutor's Office has taken over the investigation.
The fact that the drone was loaded with explosives and able to reach the airport demonstrates a new level of threat. However, drone sightings over airports and ports, industrial sites and military properties have been increasing in Germany. In 2025, Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) recorded more than 1,000 suspicious drone flights.
Last October, drones disrupted air traffic in Munich for several hours, stranding numerous passengers. There is not sufficient drone protection at German airports, warned security expert Nico Lange.
"We do not possess the sensor networks and sensor beams needed to spot all types of drones, especially low-flying, slow drones," he told DW.
