Second Drone Hits DHL Plane at Leipzig Airport as 1 Explosive Device Evades Sensors
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 6
Second Drone Hits DHL Plane at Leipzig Airport as 1 Explosive Device Evades Sensors
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 6
Summary
A DHL cargo plane from Marseille struck what investigators believe was a second drone after Leipzig suspended traffic over an explosive-laden drone found between two Antonov An-124s.
German officials said only a ripped detonator prevented the first device—carrying fist-sized Semtex—from exploding near Ukrainian cargo planes, one reportedly loaded with military ammunition.
Security footage suggests the first drone sat on the tarmac for hours before an employee found it shortly before midnight, and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said it had been modified to bypass detection systems.
The DHL plane, carrying unspecified dangerous goods, diverted and made an emergency landing in Hanover with minor damage; Bild reported the second drone carried a camera to film the strike.
Leipzig’s role as a NATO logistics hub and Antonov’s European base has sharpened suspicion of Russian sabotage, echoing a 2024 DHL firebomb case that later led investigators to 22 suspects in Lithuania and Poland.