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'Modified drone' found next to Ukrainian transport plane at German airport

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'Modified drone' found next to Ukrainian transport plane at German airport
A Ukrainian Antonov An-124-100M cargo aircraft is seen at Leipzig/Halle Airport on Dec. 20, 2025 (Vasily Krestyaninov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Flights at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport were suspended overnight on Aug. 5 after a "modified drone" was sighted and later found next to a Ukrainian Antonov Airlines An-124 transport aircraft.

The "modified drone" contained an "unknown substance" and a "detonator," according to police sources speaking to German media outlet Süddeutsche Zeitung.

As part of the police response, a bomb disposal robot was deployed and a controlled explosion was carried out.

According to a statement from the Leipzig Police Directorate, "a security-related incident occurred at Leipzig/Halle Airport on Wednesday night," which led to the suspension of flight operations.  

Leipzig/Halle Airport has served as a base for Ukraine's Antonov Airlines since shortly after the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion. According to the German outlet Bild, four Ukrainian cargo aircraft were present during the suspected attack.

German police have not identified those responsible for the incident and efforts to identify the pilot are ongoing.

Suspected Russian-linked drone incidents have repeatedly disrupted airports across Europe, causing flight suspensions and diversions.

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Jimmy Rushton

Special Correspondent

Rushton is a British journalist and security and foreign policy analyst based in Kyiv. He has covered Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine since February 2022, writing about every aspect of the conflict. His work has appeared in Yahoo News, New Lines Magazine, and The Telegraph, amongst others.

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