Third drone & explosives found near German airport with device ‘tied to tree’ as ‘smoking gun’ evidence of plot revealed

A THIRD drone and more explosives have been found near a German airport following a suspected Russian attack attempt earlier this month. The chilling discovery comes after a “smoking gun” piece of evidence linking the Kremlin to the plot was uncovered by investigators. An explosive-laden drone was found at a German airport on August 4, with a third device found 10 days later on August 14 Credit: Reuters Leipzig/Halle airport was plunged into chaos earlier this month when authorities said two drones were found Credit: EPA Chaos broke out at Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4 after a rigged drone was discovered near a fleet of Ukrainian cargo planes. Moments later, the panic escalated when a second unidentified object collided with an incoming aircraft. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Experts also warned the dramatic ordeal showed how Vladimir Putin is willing to take down a European passenger jet. It has now been revealed that authorities discovered a third drone and more bombs just west of the airport. A bomb disposal robot was deployed Credit: Getty The first drone was found near a fleet of Ukrainian Antonov planes Credit: Reuters Authorities made the shocking find in a field in Kabelsketal, Saxony-Anhalt, on August 14. Around 50g of a military-grade explosive substance called hexogen was reportedly seized – sparking fears the suspected attack was meant to take place on a larger scale. A “technical device” which may have been used to control the drone was also found in the abandoned village of Kursdorf in Saxony, also near the airport. The hardware, alongside an antenna and other electronic devices, were strapped to a tree with tape, Bild reported. Most read in The Sun Putin has been accused of orchestrating the plot Credit: AP Investigators have found a third drone and more explosives following the terrifying ordeal Credit: Getty Scorched parts of the ground and metal fragments were also found, suggesting an explosive may have detonated, reports say. The first drone was found near a fleet of planes owned by Antonov – a major Ukrainian aerospace firm. Antonov planes have used Leipzig/Halle Airport as an operating base since Russia‘s full-scale invasion in 2022. After the drone was found, the southern runway of the airport, a major hub for DHL and Ukrainian jets, remained closed while bomb experts examined the device. A bomb disposal robot was even deployed to the tarmac to handle the dramatic situation. Several planes, including a passenger flight, were diverted overnight. Amid the chaos while air traffic was being redirected, one cargo plane had to abort its landing. It then reportedly hit an unknown object before landing in Hanover, where minor damage to the tail fin section was discovered. Just last week, it was reported that evidence of Putin’s plot to hit the German airport was linked to a series of parcel bombs that targeted the UK. Analysis of the drone found traces of DNA that matched at least one person suspected of being involved in a Kremlin-backed plan to send parcel bombs in the UK, according to the Mail on Sunday. One package burst into flames as it was set to be loaded on a DHL flight to the UK in July 2024 at Leipzig airport. A second caught fire just two days later in the UK. It had already reached a DHL depot near Birmingham. In Poland, two similar parcels were discovered. All were posted from Vilnius, Lithuania, and were thought to be part of a “practice plot” ahead of a suspected plan to sabotage flights to the US. Investigators identified 22 suspects in Poland and Lithuania who are thought to be working for Russia‘s GRU spy service. The same network is now thought to be behind the latest Leipzig drone attack. German security services expert Professor Peter Neumann told the Mail: “They found DNA on the Leipzig drone and… the person that matches that DNA is a person who is suspected in Lithuania of involvement in the parcel bomb plot of 2024.” Five men are on trial in Lithuania suspected of involvement in the 2024 parcel bomb plot. Professor Neumann called the DNA the “smoking gun” that shows “the parcel bomb attack was basically led by the Russian GRU”. And Lithuania’s prosecutor’s office confirmed “the drone incident at Leipzig Airport is linked to Lithuania”. Comment now