Explosive-laden drone discovered at Leipzig airport – investigations underway
Police found a drone equipped with Semtex in the baggage area of Leipzig/Halle airport. Authorities are treating it as a planned attack.
Drone with explosives found at Leipzig airport
On 4 August, an employee of Leipzig/Halle airport discovered a suspicious flying object in a baggage zone closed to the public. According to the Latvian news service BNN.LV, citing the Dresden public prosecutor's office and Saxon police, it was a drone equipped with explosive charges. It was located just a few metres from a Ukrainian cargo aircraft of the Antonov type.
Initially, a police disposal robot was deployed to inspect the object. Subsequently, specialists were able to neutralise the detonator. According to BNN.LV, the detonator did not trigger; no explosion occurred. Nevertheless, airport authorities temporarily suspended operations and diverted several incoming and departing aircraft. A cargo aircraft belonging to the DHL fleet, which was diverted and landed in Hanover, later showed damage to the forward fuselage that is believed to have resulted from a collision with another object.
The investigation revealed that the drone was equipped with Semtex – a highly explosive substance. Leipzig/Halle airport is home to the NATO facility for strategic air transport (SALIS) and serves as Europe's largest DHL hub as well as a maintenance facility for several Ukrainian Antonov aircraft.
According to BNN.LV, security authorities classified the incident as a targeted attack. By the evening of the following day, 5 August, no arrests had been made. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt cut short his holiday in Italy to consult with the relevant authorities in Leipzig. Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster described the incident as an extremely serious security matter.
The Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Oleksij Makejew, told journalists that in his assessment Moscow was behind the action. He expressed the expectation that German investigators would fully clarify the background and added that in his view no one other than Russia could be responsible for the attack plan. The Russian embassy in Berlin has not yet commented on the allegations.
Source: BNN.LV
Source: Google News LV — Crime (lv)