Germany warns of ‘daily hybrid warfare’ after explosive-laden drone found

What the report says

Germany’s interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, has warned that the country is facing daily “hybrid warfare” from abroad after an explosive-laden drone was found near a runway at Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany earlier in the week. In comments reported by Al Jazeera from Bild am Sonntag, Dobrindt said espionage, sabotage, cyberattacks and other covert actions are now a constant reality. He did not publicly name any country as responsible.

The drone discovery has intensified security concerns in Germany and across Europe. Some German lawmakers have pointed to Russia, while the Russian embassy in Berlin rejected the allegation and called the incident a provocation. Al Jazeera also noted that German authorities are considering stronger anti-drone defenses, with a reported plan to expand specialist teams and add more bases.

The article places the incident within a wider series of drone-related security events in Europe. Germany’s armed forces said two drones were seen near a military site in western Germany, and Bulgaria reported a drone explosion near a gas pipeline. While investigators have not publicly confirmed links among the incidents, the developments have fed concern that the war in Ukraine may be spilling into neighboring NATO states. For Germany, the episode underscores growing attention to airport security, military protection and the ability to detect and intercept drones.