LEIPZIG / SCHKEUDITZ – August 25, 2026 – German investigators have discovered a third drone and approximately 50 grams of a suspected military explosive near Leipzig/Halle Airport, suggesting that last month’s unsuccessful attack may have been larger in scale than initially reported.
The third drone was found on August 14 in a field in Kabelsketal, west of the airport, along with electronic components and a substance preliminarily identified as hexogen, a high-powered military explosive. The device and material did not detonate.
The discovery comes weeks after an explosives-laden drone was found on August 4–5 near a Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft at the airport. That drone, which carried a detonator that failed, was located close to aircraft used for transporting military supplies. Investigators also believe a second drone may have collided mid-air with a DHL cargo plane around the same time.
Leipzig/Halle Airport serves as a major cargo and military logistics hub used by NATO and Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines. German media reports, citing security sources, indicate that the perpetrators may have planned a broader attack involving multiple drones and targets.
Authorities continue to investigate the incident. German officials have described the original discovery as a serious security threat, with some security sources pointing to possible state actor involvement, though no formal attribution has been made public. The investigation remains ongoing.
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