Several flights, including a passenger aircraft, were diverted after two objects were reported near Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport during the night, police said on Wednesday.

The disruption began shortly before midnight, when a flying object was sighted close to the airfield. At the same time, police said, another object was found in the area of the airport’s southern runway, which was examined by the federal police.

Diversions After Reports Near The Airfield

A police spokesperson, Olaf Hoppe, told Euronews that flights were redirected to other airports following the sighting near the airport shortly before midnight. He said officers would not confirm whether the reported object was a drone.

The airport is a major cargo hub, and the incident affected multiple routes during the night.

Anti-Explosives Robot Used On Southern Runway

Police said an anti-explosives robot was deployed to check the other object near the southern runway. Officers did not provide further details about the item or the process.

Flights using the other runway resumed shortly before 2am, according to a police statement. However, the southern runway remained closed on Wednesday morning while checks continued.

Hoppe said the work by the federal police was almost complete.

Cargo Operator Antonov Airlines In Area

Police said the incident occurred near the cargo aircraft of Ukrainian cargo carrier Antonov Airlines. Leipziger Volkszeitung reported that the firm has increased part of its operations at Leipzig/Halle.

The airline has based An-124 cargo aircraft at the airport and is building a new maintenance hangar, with completion scheduled for 2027. Antonov’s original home base at Hostomel was destroyed during the war in Ukraine, after Russian attacks.

Other Drone-Related Disruptions In Germany

The Leipzig/Halle episode follows a series of recent incidents that have disrupted air travel at German airports.

In October last year, local media reported that a laser installation was deployed near Munich Airport after suspicious drone sightings led to the airport closing for two consecutive days. In November, flight operations at Berlin Brandenburg Airport were interrupted for about two hours following a drone sighting in its airspace.

Germany’s air navigation service DFS said unidentified drones are becoming more frequent in the country’s airspace. It recorded 144 drone overflights last year, with 35 incidents clustered around Frankfurt Airport.

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5 August 2026

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UPDATE

Explosive-Loaded Drone Found Near Antonov Planes

An explosive device carried by a drone was found at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany, police said, prompting a security operation that affected runway operations.

Saxony police said a robot was deployed after an airport employee spotted the device overnight near Ukrainian cargo aircraft. A second, unidentified object also struck a cargo plane at the same airport. It later landed in Hanover with minor damage.

Security staff removed the detonator from the explosive device before carrying out a controlled explosion, police said. Flights using the northern runway resumed at 01:55 local time (23:55 GMT on Tuesday). The southern runway remained closed.

Airport On High Alert

Germany’s interior minister said the incidents reflected what he described as a new level of threat.

German airports have been on heightened alert in recent months after unauthorised drone flights over military bases, airports, energy facilities, seaports and logistics companies. Police have warned that the activity could involve Russia, which Moscow has denied.

Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany is used by the German military and by Nato allies to move military goods. It is also a base for Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines, which carries most of the country’s air cargo. The site additionally serves as a major hub for DHL.

A police spokesman told the BBC the explosive-laden object was spotted close to parked Antonov aircraft.

Investigation Points To Hybrid Threat

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the circumstances did not suggest an improvised operation.

He said investigators were instead dealing with what he described as a professional, hybrid threat scenario. Dobrindt did not name any suspects, but said the investigation could indicate a form of “competition” that may also involve foreign powers.

Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, told Welt TV: “Who else could it be but Russia?” Russia has not commented.

Security experts have linked similar incidents to the wider conflict. Peter R Neumann, a professor of security studies at King’s College London, said on X that “since last night, the drone war has reached Germany”, adding that it highlighted a vulnerability that he said had been known for years.

Earlier Leipzig/Halle Attacks Mentioned

The Leipzig/Halle episode comes against a backdrop of previous drone and cargo incidents. In July 2024, a parcel burst into flames on the ground at the airport before it could be loaded onto a DHL cargo plane. Authorities said that was part of a series of parcel fires affecting the UK and other European countries, and that investigators suspected sabotage connected to Moscow.

Authorities said the parcels contained explosive devices triggered by electronic timers hidden in vibrating massage pillows. Russia denied involvement in those cases.

Last year, a Chinese woman was convicted in Germany for passing on information about flight schedules and cargo movements at Leipzig/Halle Airport to a man accused of spying for Beijing.

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6 August 2026

Well, Leipzig as a main supplying airport to Ukraine is an easy target for Putin's hybrid war strategy.

Unfortunately Germany is not prepared for it

As the world burns...