Bomb drone found on flight – warns of more

 

Hans Österman

 

Published 08.47

 

A Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle airport in Germany. Photo: Hendrik Schmidt /AP/TT

A sharp bomb drone was found at a major German airport.

According to the country's interior minister, it could be followed by more - even targeting crowds.

- This represents a new level of threat, he said.

The drone was found on Tuesday evening near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig-Halle airport in eastern Germany. Several flights had to be diverted and in the chaos, one of them collided with an unidentified object in mid-air. However, the plane escaped with minor damage and was able to land safely in Hanover.

Bomb technicians took care of the drone, removed the detonator and later detonated it in a controlled manner.

On Wednesday, the German government confirmed that the craft was carrying a sharp explosive charge. Interior Minister Alexander Dorbrindt said at a press conference that the find marked "a new level of threat" and that the drone was professionally designed, not least in terms of its ability to bypass the airport's air defense system.

A sharp bomb drone was found at a German airport. Bomb technicians took care of the drone, removed the detonator and later detonated it under controlled conditions. Photo: Hendrik Schmidt /AP/TT

“We are dealing with a situation that may involve foreign powers. They are quite clearly trying to contribute to significant insecurity in Germany.

From Leipzig-Halle, military equipment is regularly flown to Ukraine, both under German and NATO auspices.

“We are aware of the incident, which German authorities are continuing to investigate,” a NATO spokesperson told the British The Guardian.

According to the German newspaper Tagesspiegel, Alexander Dorbrindt said that the bombing drone could be followed by more in the future. The targets then do not have to be only airports, according to the minister. He specifically mentioned large crowds and industrial properties:

“One of the goals is to create insecurity among the population. There is a high threat level in the country.”

The minister spoke openly about hybrid warfare, but did not directly single out Putin or Russia. However, Oleksii Makeyev, Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, does.

“Who else could it be but Russia?” he told the Welt TV channel.

Russia has so far not commented on the incident.