Jennifer Griffin reports on Russia’s shadow fleet launching a drone campaign across Europe to surveil military sites and test NATO’s air defenses. The International Institute for Strategic Studies report reveals 144 suspected drones near sensitive sites in Germany, France, and the UK.
A drone carrying explosives was discovered near a Ukrainian plane at Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport late Tuesday. This prompted officials to warn about a “new quality of danger.” This discovery temporarily closed both runways at this major European freight hub, diverting several flights to other airports, according to The Associated Press.
Another flying object was spotted nearby shortly before midnight, causing further flight diversions including one passenger plane. Police launched a large response and began investigating the incidents with one explosive drone found near the south runway. An explosives-disposal robot was deployed to safely examine the device.
The plane involved bore the blue-and-yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag, featuring the slogan “Be Brave Like Kherson,” paying tribute to the southern Ukrainian region. Another incident involved a flying object colliding with a cargo aircraft, forcing it to abort landing at Leipzig/Halle Airport and divert to Hannover Airport.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt highlighted this as a significant escalation in drone threats, stating the presence of an armed drone at an airport reflects a “new threat scenario.” He mentioned questions around the drone’s origin and explosives remain part of the investigation.
Dobrindt emphasized previous assessments had rightly identified a high level of danger in such hybrid threat scenarios.
In response to similar threats, Germany established the Joint Centre for Countering Hybrid Threats to address espionage, sabotage, and disinformation. NATO acknowledged the incidents, deferring details to German authorities.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, proposed that Russia could be behind these activities, suggesting, “Who else could it be but Russia?”
In 2024, a logistics center at Leipzig/Halle Airport was targeted with an incendiary device, igniting a freight container, which Western security officials suspect was part of Russian intelligence sabotage operations.
Emma Bussey reports on breaking news for Fox News Digital, having previously worked with The Telegraph covering foreign, politics, news, sports, and culture.
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