Investigators find additional drone and hexogen explosives linked to Leipzig airport attack

Discovery in Kabelsketal

German federal investigators have uncovered an additional drone in a field in Kabelsketal, a municipality in the Saalekreis district of Saxony-Anhalt bordering the western perimeter of Leipzig-Halle airport. The discovery was made on the evening of 14 August, ten days after the initial sabotage attempt at the airfield. Forensic teams from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) secured the aircraft and located approximately 50 grams of unexploded hexogen, a military-grade explosive also known as RDX, at the site on 15 August. Investigators cited by German media reported that the explosive material was found beside the device rather than mounted directly on it, leading authorities to suspect both drones were assembled in Kabelsketal. The device, like the one discovered earlier at the airport, was defective and failed to detonate.

Sequence of airport incidents

The ongoing investigation originated during the night between 4 and 5 August when a drone loaded with military explosives, including Semtex and PETN, was detected on a taxiway near a Ukrainian Antonov An-124 Ruslan cargo aircraft. The aircraft had been parked at Leipzig-Halle airport, which serves as Europe's fourth-largest air freight hub, to transport military equipment. Airport operations were halted for several hours while federal police deployed bomb disposal specialists and a remote-controlled robot to perform a controlled disruption of the detonator. At approximately 00:03 on 5 August, a DHL cargo flight aborting its landing due to the runway closure reported a collision near the airport perimeter fence. The flight crew reported seeing an object roughly 30 centimetres in size seconds before impact, resulting in visible damage to the aircraft tail before diverting safely to Hannover.

Forensic evidence and drone control

Authorities are assessing whether the mid-air collision involved a second drone or a bird strike, following the recovery of organic traces from the DHL airframe alongside the structural damage. In the nearby abandoned village of Kursdorf, search teams found communication equipment including an antenna and electronics taped to a tree, along with a detached motor and rotor. Witnesses in Kursdorf had reported hearing a detonation hours before the airport discovery, with investigators later finding a patch of scorched earth in the area. Forensic testing also identified DNA profiles on the first drone recovered on the taxiway, matching biological material collected during an earlier incident in Leipzig in 2024. The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, led by Federal Prosecutor General Jens Rommel, took over the case from Dresden authorities, categorizing the plot as a serious attack on transport and logistics infrastructure.

Government response and hybrid threats

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the investigation on 25 August ahead of government meetings in Brandenburg, stating that authorities have gathered evidence pointing to the perpetrators and will identify them shortly.

Germany is increasingly coming under the crosshairs of hybrid attackers. Attackers are becoming increasingly unscrupulous, willing to accept even serious property damage, injuries and deaths.

Merz pledged that the perpetrators would pay a price, while announcing plans to reinforce German defense capabilities with a dedicated counter-drone center in Magdeburg. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt previously characterized the incident as a hybrid attack scenario and did not exclude foreign state involvement. German security sources cited by media suspect the involvement of Russian intelligence services, though Moscow has denied any connection to the incidents.