German police seek third suspect in failed Leipzig airport drone attack

Appeal for a third suspect

The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and the Federal Prosecutor General have released a search image of a person they want to identify in connection with the attack on Leipzig/Halle airport. The picture is AI-generated and shows a rider on an e-bike wearing a hood and a cap. Investigators say the person was moving around the area between 31 July and 4 August 2026. Officers put up large posters on display boards in villages near the airport and handed out flyers. The BKA says it has so far identified two suspects, and that a third, still unknown person may also be connected to the drone attack.

Drone with explosives at the airport

Airport staff found a drone lying on the south runway of Leipzig/Halle airport in early August 2026. The BKA said the drone carried an explosive device loaded with explosives and was lying directly beside Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft. Spiegel reports that the attack targeted an Antonov transport plane on 4 August. The charge apparently failed to explode because its detonator had been torn off. German authorities believe the target was an Antonov carrying military equipment to Ukraine, and that the attack was orchestrated from Moscow.

Launch site and recovered equipment

Investigators have located a suspected drone launch site on the connecting path between Rabutz and Beuditz, west of the airport. More suspected attack equipment was found near the industrial area between Radefeld and Lützschena, east of the airport. The BKA said the unknown person was in these villages on an e-bike between 31 July and 4 August. Police describe the outfit as ill-suited to the season: long dark trousers, a thick jacket, black gloves, a large black backpack, and a hood with a cap pulled low over the face. Police did not say whether the person sought is the presumed drone pilot.

The BKA's own wording stresses the clothing:

“The clothing, unusually warm for high midsummer, may have been particularly conspicuous.”

Two named suspects and the Russia link

According to public broadcaster ARD, prosecutors are investigating two suspects: Oleg L., a Latvian-Russian dual national, and Andrej K., a Belarusian with links to an official of Russian military intelligence (GRU). Spiegel reports that Federal Prosecutor General Jens Rommel is investigating these two named suspects. The federal government has officially accused Russia of being behind the attack, and security circles attribute it to the GRU. Spiegel and the Russian investigative platform The Insider say their research shows that a special unit within the GRU, founded after the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, is responsible. Spiegel also reports that Oleg L. maintained relationships for years with a senior GRU sabotage specialist.

Background

Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, German authorities have recorded a rise in drone sightings and unauthorised aerial reconnaissance near critical infrastructure and military sites, according to reports. Germany is one of the main European countries giving military assistance to Ukraine, including weapons and air defence systems. Spiegel describes a Russian destabilisation and sabotage campaign across Europe since the invasion of Ukraine. Police are now asking witnesses to come forward with information.