Germany warns of daily hybrid warfare after explosive-laden drone found at Leipzig/Halle Airport

Germany says it is facing daily hybrid warfare attacks from abroad after an explosive-laden drone was discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said espionage, sabotage, cyberattacks and covert operations had become a constant reality. He said Germany was not at war, but was the daily target of efforts aimed at destabilising the country.

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Dobrindt made the comments in an interview published on Sunday, days after the drone was found at the airport on Tuesday. He said foreign powers wanted to subdue Germany politically and socially by stirring up fear. He did not name any country behind the alleged activity.

The discovery has become the immediate trigger for a wider debate in Germany over how to respond to suspected drone threats. German lawmakers have pointed the finger at Russia, which has been at war with Ukraine since its full-scale invasion in 2022. The Russian embassy in Berlin rejected the Leipzig incident as a fabricated provocation and said it was another example of unsubstantiated accusations against Moscow.

Germany is also planning to strengthen its anti-drone capabilities, with government sources cited in local reporting saying the interior ministry wants to double the federal anti-drone expert team from 150 to 300 and expand the network of related bases from four to eight. The incident matters because it comes amid broader concern in Europe that the war in Ukraine could increasingly spill over into neighbouring NATO states. Drone sightings and suspected sabotage have become part of a wider security debate across the continent, especially around critical infrastructure and military sites.

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For Germany, the issue is particularly sensitive because airports, military bases and energy infrastructure are seen as potential targets for low-cost but disruptive attacks. The Leipzig/Halle discovery also fits into a series of recent drone-related incidents that have heightened official concern. Germany's armed forces said two drones were spotted late on Thursday over a military base site in Mechernich in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Separately, a drone exploded in Bulgaria near the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline on Saturday, although Bulgaria's defence ministry said there was no reason to suspect the incident was intentional. Ukraine said it was working with Bulgarian authorities to clarify the circumstances. What remains unclear is who sent the drone found at Leipzig/Halle Airport and whether it was intended to be used.

German officials have not publicly attributed the incident to any state. The next developments to watch are whether investigators identify the source of the drone, whether the government formally expands its anti-drone units, and whether further incidents prompt additional security measures at sensitive sites.

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