• A drone carrying an explosive device was found at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
• A cargo plane was diverted to Hanover after colliding with an unknown object.
• The incident is under investigation by German authorities for possible connections to sabotage.

A drone with an explosive device was discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport, leading to the diversion of several flights and prompting an investigation by local authorities. The drone was reported to be near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane, which has been using the airport as a base since the escalation of conflict in Ukraine. The explosive device was removed by police using an explosives-disposal robot, and preliminary reports suggest it contained a detonator, though its functionality remains unclear, according to Reuters and BBC.

Flight operations were temporarily halted as authorities investigated the drone incident. During this time, it was reported that a cargo aircraft, which had to abort its landing, struck an unknown object six kilometers from the airport. This aircraft was subsequently diverted to Hanover, where it was found to have sustained minor damage to its nose, as detailed by Al Jazeera and Le Monde.

The German police reported that investigations are ongoing, with a specialized counter-terrorism unit actively seeking public assistance regarding any suspicious drone activity in the area. Authorities have not confirmed whether the drone incident is related to the recent series of unauthorized drone overflights over sensitive locations in Germany, which they suspect could be linked to espionage or sabotage efforts, particularly attributed to Russian agents, according to Reuters, BBC, and Le Monde.