Drone with explosives found near Ukraine cargo jet at German airport carried out 'professionally'

A drone carrying an explosive device that was found at Leipzig airport was "very professionally carried out", a German minister said.

Reports emerged of a flying object at Leipzig/Halle late on Tuesday night and closed both runways while an anti-explosives robot was sent to check an object near the southern runway.

The discovery shows that the explosives-packed drone represents a new type of "hybrid attack", the German interior minister said.

Police and prosecutors said they found the drone with "an unknown explosive device" and that experts had removed its detonator.

Photos showed police and the robot near one of Ukraine's huge Antonov cargo jets. Germany's Bild news site said the drone was found lying close to the plane.

The Antonov jets are famous for their huge size, with one of the most famous examples destroyed in the early days of the Ukraine war.

German airports are on high alert after a series of drone sightings over sensitive sites – including military facilities, energy terminals, seaports and logistics companies.

'A new quality of threat'

Counter-terror officers are investigating, and interior minister Alexander Dobrindt held an ‌emergency with Germany's security services on Wednesday night.

At a press conference, he described the incident as a "very serious, security-relevant incident" and a "hybrid attack scenario".

Mr Dobrindt added: "This drone was equipped with explosives. That represents a new quality of threat.

"Drone sightings, drones, and threats are also in a hybrid context – we're familiar with that from the past. But a drone, armed with explosives, being present on airport grounds – that is a new threat scenario.

"We are dealing with a high level of danger. These threats are not being carried out by amateurs. A high degree of technical experience must be involved. Experience in handling explosives must also be present.

"We are talking here about a professional, hybrid threat, one that we will continue to have to deal with."

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Meanwhile, another cargo aircraft – believed to be owned by DHL – was hit by an object as it climbed away from Leipzig after diverting last night.

Slight damage was found to the plane when it landed in Hannover. Investigations into the object's origins are ongoing.

It comes after an investigation found a number of incendiary devices had been hidden in parcels that caught fire in 2024, including one incident at a DHL depot in Birmingham.

Western security services blamed Russian intelligence, though the country denied responsibility for those incidents, as well as for the recent drone sightings.

Leipzig – a key cargo hub in eastern Germany – reopened its northern runway about two hours after the security alert. The southern runway was scheduled to close for maintenance on Wednesday.

(c) Sky News 2026: Drone with explosives found near Ukraine cargo jet at German airport carried out 'professionally'