The discovery of a drone loaded with explosives at Leipzig-Halle Airport (EDDP) in Germany on Tuesday night signals new levels of risk for aircraft operators, according to security experts. With German authorities still investigating how the small quadcopter got close to Ukrainian cargo aircraft—with a DHL freighter forced to divert—analysts say the incident bears all the hallmarks of Russian efforts to destabilize Europe, as seen in earlier incidents in Poland, Lithuania, and Denmark.
According to Rhys Jones, an analysis output manager with Osprey Flight Solutions, the Leipzig incident is consistent with Russian tactics in which various facilities, including restaurants and supermarkets, have been targeted with explosives. The use of a small quadcopter with limited range and payload strongly suggests that the planned attack was initiated close to the German airport.
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