Germany Doubles Anti-Drone Unit After Explosive Drone Breach at NATO Hub

Germany is doubling its federal police anti-drone unit after an explosive-laden drone breached Leipzig/Halle Airport, a major NATO logistics hub, as US intelligence reportedly links the suspected sabotage operation to Russia. At a federal press briefing in Berlin on Monday, Aug. 10, an Interior Ministry spokesperson announced that personnel in the specialized counter-drone unit will double to 300, while the number of operational bases will increase from four to eight.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt will also formally open a new drone technology research center next week in cooperation with the German Aerospace Center, the ministry said. The expansion follows last week’s discovery of a drone carrying explosives and a detonator inside a restricted area of Leipzig/Halle Airport, close to Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft. Dobrindt has described the incident as a professional “hybrid attack scenario” potentially involving a foreign power and warned that an explosives-equipped drone on airport grounds represented a new level of threat. US intelligence points to Russia US intelligence officials believe the explosive drone was connected to the Russian government, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing two US officials. German authorities have not formally attributed the attack to Moscow, and the federal investigation remains underway. The suspected Russian connection comes amid growing Western concern that Moscow is using sabotage, espionage, cyberattacks and covert operations against European countries supporting Ukraine. Other Topics of Interest US House Moves on Sweeping Russia Sanctions Bill After 86–11 Senate Vote House lawmakers introduced the Graham sanctions bill during recess, targeting Russia’s oil revenues, banks and shadow fleet after an 86–11 Senate vote. Dobrindt warned over the weekend that Germany is already the target of such operations on a daily basis. “We’re not at war, but we are the daily target of hybrid warfare,” he said, citing espionage, sabotage, cyberattacks and covert foreign operations aimed at destabilizing Germany or causing direct harm. Explosive drone near Ukrainian Antonovs Leipzig/Halle Airport is one of Europe’s largest freight hubs and the main operating base for NATO’s Strategic Airlift International Solution, or SALIS, which uses Ukrainian Antonov aircraft to transport military equipment, including supplies supporting NATO’s eastern flank. Airport workers discovered the drone in a restricted cargo area close to the southern runway. German federal prosecutors said it carried professional explosives and a detonator and opened a counterterrorism investigation into what they described as a serious attack potentially affecting both domestic and foreign security. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.