Drone Incident in Leipzig: Germany Denies Reports of Ammunition on Ukrainian An-124 (Updated)

A drone with explosives was indeed discovered near a Ukrainian transport aircraft, but at the time of the incident the An-124 was empty and not carrying weapons.

German officials and the operator of Leipzig/Halle Airport have refuted reports that the Ukrainian An-124 cargo plane, near which a drone with explosives was found, was loaded with ammunition.

During a meeting of the heads of the defense and interior committees of the Bundestag, the German Interior Ministry stated that there were no weapons or ammunition on board.

Bundestag Interior Committee Chairman Detlef Seif also reported that the information he had received did not confirm the presence of military cargo.

This was also confirmed by Marek Montavon, head of communications at Mitteldeutsche Flughafen, which operates Leipzig/Halle Airport.

"The Antonov in question was empty at the time of the incident and was not carrying any cargo", - reported Montavon.

According to her, this data matches the information that the airport operator received from Antonov Logistics SALIS.

Previously, some German media claimed that the aircraft might have been transporting ammunition for Ukraine. This version led to speculation that the military cargo could have been the target of the attack. The new information from officials and the airport does not confirm this.

The incident itself occurred on the evening of August 4 at Leipzig/Halle Airport. An unmanned aerial vehicle with an explosive device was discovered near the Ukrainian An-124 transport aircraft. German federal police neutralized it.

Law enforcement officials continue to investigate the drone's origin and the circumstances of its intrusion into the territory of one of Europe's largest cargo airports. There is currently no information about the involvement of a specific state or organization.

Following the incident, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt invited colleagues from several European countries to a meeting dedicated to joint counter-drone measures and strengthening critical infrastructure protection.

According to materials from: Deutsche Welle, Tagesschau