Drone carrying explosives found at German airport, police say

A drone carrying an explosive device has been found at a German airport, police say.

A robot was deployed at Leipzig/Halle Airport after the device was spotted in the cargo operation area overnight, according to Saxony police.

A second unidentified object collided with a cargo aircraft near the same airport. Minor damage was detected on the aircraft after it landed in Hanover.

There have been a series of unauthorised drone flights in Germany in recent months over sensitive sites including military bases, airports, energy terminals, seaports and logistics companies.

German airports are on high alert. Federal police have warned that the overflights could have been organised by Russian agents.

A police spokesman told the BBC that the object discovered at Leipzig Airport overnight had been spotted close to parked Ukrainian Antonov transport planes.

The object was examined with the assistance of the Federal Police and an explosive-detection robot.

The Federal Police's Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit removed the detonator from the explosive device.

Flights on the northern runway resumed at 01:55 (23:55 GMT on Tuesday).

The southern runway, which is a major hub for the logistic group DHL, remains closed.

Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster has described it as a "very serious security incident".

In July 2024 a parcel burst into flames on the ground at Leipzig airport before it could be loaded onto a DHL cargo plane, one of a series of parcel fires that targeted the UK and EU countries.

There are suspicions it could have been sabotage linked to Moscow.

The parcels had contained explosive devices that were set off by electronic timers hidden in vibrating massage pillows, according to authorities.

Russia has denied any involvement in those incidents.

Last year a Chinese woman was convicted for passing on information about flight schedules and cargo movements at Leipzig-Halle Airport to a man spying for Beijing.