BERLIN, August 25. /TASS/. German authorities discovered a third unmanned aerial vehicle near Leipzig/Halle Airport following a drone attack, Suddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) reported jointly with broadcasters NDR and WDR.
According to SZ, investigators believe several drones were used in the attack. The first was found at the airport, while the second apparently struck a DHL aircraft. The third was discovered several days later, on the evening of August 14, in a field in Kabelsketal, Saxony-Anhalt, directly adjacent to the airport’s western side.
Forensic investigators from Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) found traces of a powerful explosive at the site, reportedly about 50 grams of RDX, a highly explosive compound, the newspaper said. The substance apparently failed to detonate. Experts are currently trying to determine why.
The discovery of the first two drones dates back to August 4. Investigators found the first at 11:42 p.m. at Leipzig/Halle Airport near a Ukrainian An cargo plane. The second apparently collided with a DHL freighter 20 minutes later. The airport’s closure forced the freighter to abort its approach and go around, when it apparently hit the drone at an altitude of 300 to 400 meters. The pilots told investigators they saw an object about 30 centimeters in size seconds before the collision. Radar data later confirmed a small flying object.
The DHL freighter was diverted to Hanover, Lower Saxony. Investigators have not found the drone or its debris, which may have entered an engine and been destroyed on impact.
BKA officers are also examining another theory alongside DNA traces found on the drone at the airport. Investigators found a technical setup in Kursdorf, north of Leipzig/Halle Airport, that may have been used to control the drone. They found an antenna taped to a tree and other electronic equipment.
Investigators also found a fire pit several meters away with melted metal parts, according to SZ. They believe something exploded there, but what exactly remains unclear.
Police found other drone components, including an engine and rotor, while searching the area around the airport on August 11, according to SZ. No further details were provided.
About the Leipzig incident
German authorities found a drone carrying an improvised explosive device late on August 4 on the Leipzig/Halle Airport runway near a Ukrainian An cargo plane. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the incident as a "hybrid attack scenario" and did not rule out the possibility that "foreign states" were behind it.
Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office assumed responsibility for the investigation into the drone incident.
German law enforcement is seriously considering a "Ukrainian link" to the Leipzig drone incident without publicly disclosing it, according to a statement from the press service of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).