A DHL cargo plane made an emergency landing in Hanover after colliding with an unidentified object while climbing away from Leipzig airport, and police separately found a drone, reportedly fitted with explosives and a detonator, near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft at the same airport overnight. German authorities confirmed the incident caused serious air traffic disruption and are investigating whether the two events are linked, amid a wider pattern of suspicious drone activity at European airports, military sites and logistics hubs that some countries have blamed on Russian agents, allegations Moscow denies.

The DHL aircraft sustained minor nose damage but landed safely, according to Germany's Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation and Bild. Several flights, including one from Mallorca, were diverted, and Leipzig's northern runway reopened after two hours while the southern runway, where the drone was found, stayed closed as a bomb disposal robot examined the object. The incident echoes a 2024 case in which incendiary devices were found concealed in parcels at a DHL warehouse in Leipzig, though officials would not confirm any connection; Germany, the largest single national supplier of military aid to Ukraine, has previously accused Russia of sabotage, espionage and disinformation campaigns against it.