Russia has tried to blow-up a Ukrainian cargo plane in Leipzig’s Halle Airport, Germany. A drone armed with a bomb was found placed near a Ukrainian Antonov An-124.
Explosives specialists examined the drone and removed its detonator before it could explode. The discovery forced the temporary suspension of flights, the closure of parts of the airport and the diversion of several cargo aircraft. German counterterrorism officers and prosecutors have taken over the investigation.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the incident as a professionally prepared hybrid attack that represented a new level of danger. He said that an explosive-laden drone inside the grounds of a major airport could not have been deployed by amateurs.
Leipzig/Halle Airport is one of Europe’s largest cargo hubs and has become a strategically important base for the Ukrainian state-owned Antonov Airlines since Russia’s full-scale invasion forced the company to relocate much of its operations from Ukraine in 2022. The airport is also an important logistical hub for NATO.
Russia has been conducting a campaign of sabotage and hybrid attacks against European countries supporting Ukraine. In Germany alone, Russian-linked operations have targeted naval vessels and military vehicles at a private repair facility.
Newsroom
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