Bus Driver Kicks Explosive Drone at German Airport, Lawmaker Says
A bus driver knocked an explosive drone out of the air at Leipzig/Halle airport, potentially averting a serious attack, a German lawmaker said.
A bus driver at Leipzig/Halle airport in Germany knocked an explosive-laden drone out of the air late Tuesday, potentially preventing a major attack on a key NATO and cargo logistics hub, according to a senior lawmaker.
Detlef Seif, a member of the parliamentary interior committee from the governing conservative CDU party, said the driver spotted the drone flying low and kicked at it. The drone, which prosecutors said was equipped with professional explosives and a detonator, crashed nearby.
Seif described the driver's actions as "very daring and courageous, but also very dangerous," adding that the intervention may have prevented the intended attack. Federal prosecutors have launched a counterterrorism investigation into what they called a serious incident that could have affected foreign and domestic security.
Authorities have not identified the driver or explained how the drone entered the restricted airport area. German media reported that the drone was found near several Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo planes, among the world's largest freighters. A journalist saw police collecting evidence near one of the aircraft early Wednesday.
Leipzig/Halle is the main operational base for NATO's Strategic Airlift International Solution (SALIS), which uses Antonov aircraft to deliver equipment to strengthen the alliance's eastern flank. It is also used by logistics companies including DHL.
Saxony's interior minister, Armin Schuster, praised the driver but cautioned that his actions were not a model to follow, saying that notifying authorities would have been sufficient. Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a call to discuss the incident, a government spokesperson said, adding that he remains in contact with Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and other cabinet members.
German authorities have previously accused Moscow of hybrid attacks—acts of aggression short of war—but Russia has denied such claims. The Russian embassy in Berlin did not respond to a request for comment on the incident.