A drone equipped with explosives was discovered at Leipzig-Halle Airport in eastern Germany, briefly disrupting airport operations, the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on the 5th (local time).

According to police, at around 11:40 p.m. the previous night, an unidentified flying object was sighted near the airport. Both the north and south runways were subsequently closed, and several flights bound for the airport diverted to other airports.

Police said in a statement that a drone with an unidentified explosive device attached was found near the southern runway, and that officers removed the detonator. They did not disclose the specific type of explosive device. There were no injuries among passengers or airport staff.

Leipzig-Halle Airport resumed operations two hours later by opening the northern runway in the early hours of the following day. The southern runway remains closed as investigators continue their work. Local police are investigating the circumstances of the incident together with the German Federal Police.

Meanwhile, the DPA news agency, citing a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) official, reported that the drone was found near a Ukrainian aircraft at the airport. Since the Russia-Ukraine war began, Leipzig-Halle Airport has served as a major hub for cargo transports operated by Antonov, Ukraine's cargo specialist airline.

Leipzig-Halle Airport has previously been targeted. In 2024, a fire broke out at the airport's logistics center, and German authorities investigated the incident on the assumption that a Russian intelligence service might be behind it. However, according to the AP, a German Interior Ministry official said they do not at this time see a direct connection between the current incident and the 2024 case.