Leipzig Airport, an important hub for aid to Ukraine, appears to have narrowly escaped an explosion.
Late Tuesday night, an airport employee discovered a drone carrying explosives near four Ukrainian cargo planes. At least one of the planes was loaded with military equipment, according to a police report seen by German media.
Peter Neumann, a security expert at King's College London, says drone incidents have happened before, but that this marks an escalation.
"From what is known so far, this is the first case in Germany where a drone with an explosive device has been found. Obviously, it's no longer just about spying. We're talking about a possible attack," he writes on X.
Not the first time
Also in July 2024, a dangerous situation occurred at the airport when a letter bomb sent via DHL caught fire. Western security sources pointed to Russia as responsible.
In the current case, Ukraine's ambassador to Germany pointed to Russia as having planted the drone early on.
The first thing you always think is: Who else could it be? says hybrid threat expert Hanna Smith, who works at the University of Vaasa.
Espionage allegations
Even though Russia clearly has a lot to gain from blowing up a plane loaded with military equipment for Ukraine, the Russian state does not need to be directly involved, she believes.
There could also be criminal groups that benefit from Ukraine's weakening.
In June, Germany opened a new national center to coordinate the country's defense against so-called hybrid attacks. According to authorities, the center is a response to the growing threats of sabotage, espionage and disinformation campaigns from Russia.
In early August, a Ukrainian man was arrested after taking photos of a weapons manufacturer in Bavaria. German police suspect that the man was working for a foreign state, although it is unclear which one.
