Third drone and explosives found near Leipzig Airport in ongoing probe

A third drone has turned up near Leipzig/Halle Airport, along with more explosive material, according to media reports citing NDR, WDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung. The device was found in a field in Kabelsketal, west of the airport, on August 14, 2026.

Forensic investigators went over the site and, the next day, found roughly 50 grams of the explosive hexogen at the same spot.

The find comes ten days after an explosive-laden drone turned up at the airport near a parked Antonov Airlines An-124 freighter. A second drone is believed to have struck a DHL cargo aircraft shortly afterward, as the plane diverted following the airport's closure. German media said the collision happened about six kilometers from the airport, at an altitude of around 400 meters.

When the DHL aircraft landed at Hanover Airport, inspectors found damage to its tail section. They ruled out a bird strike as the cause.

Additional drone parts, including a motor and a rotor, were recovered near the airport on August 11, 2026, the same reports said.

Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office is investigating the case on behalf of the Federal Prosecutor General. No details on suspects or motive have been made public.