Leipzig Drone Attack Explosives Disguised in Food Can, Probe Finds

An attempted drone attack targeting a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft at Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport on Aug. 4 failed only because a detonator wire snapped, leaving approximately 1.8 kilograms of Semtex concealed in a vegetable tin can unexploded, German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported. According to investigators, the plot involved three unmanned aerial vehicles. Two drones crashed during launch due to unexplained technical failures, while the third successfully reached the Ukrainian cargo plane inside the airport’s security perimeter but did not detonate.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Investigators assessed that an explosion would have caused catastrophic structural damage to the transport hub, noting that the Antonov transport plane held roughly 25,000 liters of jet fuel at the time of the incident. German security agencies have identified two primary suspects: Belarusian national Andrei K. and Russian citizen Oleg L. Investigators assessed that Oleg L. coordinated logistical operations on behalf of Russia’s military intelligence service, the Main Directorate of the General Staff (GRU). Logistics, entry route, and GRU connections Investigation records show that Oleg L. entered Germany through Berlin-Brandenburg Airport via Turkey before traveling to Serbia and subsequently returning to Russia. Although German security agencies possessed preliminary intelligence regarding his potential ties to the GRU at the time of his arrival, authorities did not establish physical surveillance on him during his stay in the country. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine Strikes Russian Drone Command Posts and Supply Depots The General Staff reported strikes on Russian drone command posts, UAV storage sites, and logistics depots across occupied regions. Forensic investigators traced the suspects through DNA evidence recovered from work gloves abandoned near a radio antenna used to operate the drone. The DNA profile matched records held in Lithuania and Finland, where Andrei K. had prior documentation linked to petty criminal offenses. Polish prosecutors have separately tied Andrei K. to a major summer 2024 arson attack on a home improvement hypermarket in Łódź, which Polish authorities formally classified as an act of state-sponsored sabotage directed by Russian intelligence services. Investigators determined that the Semtex used in the Leipzig plot was smuggled across Europe through Bulgaria and Serbia hidden inside hollow vehicle compartments of commercial freight trucks. Upon arrival in Germany, the explosive charges were buried in ground caches in areas surrounding Leipzig/Halle Airport. German federal police later located several hidden caches after analyzing telemetry and GPS data retrieved from a vehicle rented by the suspects. Diplomatic expulsions and mutual facility closures The investigative disclosures follow diplomatic fallout between Berlin and Moscow over the attempted airport sabotage. On Sept. 1, the German federal government attributed the Leipzig/Halle incident directly to Russian intelligence agencies, accusing Moscow of deploying contract operatives to target critical logistics infrastructure utilized by NATO and Ukraine. In response, Berlin ordered the closure of Russia’s consulate general in Bonn – mandating the departure of roughly 60 Russian diplomats and staff by Sept. 18 – and terminated its intergovernmental operating agreement for the Russian House cultural center in Berlin. German intelligence officials assessed that approximately one-third of the personnel at the Bonn consulate were affiliated with Russian intelligence agencies. On Sept. 7, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched reciprocal measures, ordering the closure of the German Consulate General in St. Petersburg and terminating all branches of the Goethe-Institut cultural organization in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg. Russian authorities ordered German consular staff in St. Petersburg to vacate the country by Sept. 18 and gave the Goethe-Institut until Sept. 13 to shut down operations. Western allies have characterized the airport incident as a major escalation in hybrid warfare against European aviation and critical infrastructure, with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warning that allied nations will respond to attacks on European territorial integrity and democratic stability. 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.