Expert warns of 'new level' of hybrid warfare after drone found at German airport

Hybrid warfare targeting Europe has intensified, with a security expert warning of a "new level" of escalation following the discovery of a kamikaze drone at Leipzig Airport. The drone, equipped with Semtex explosives, was found near a military support aircraft for Ukraine, a sensitive area with NATO and German military presence.

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It is a new level and I expect an escalation from the Russian side.

According to security expert Carlo Masala, a professor at the German Armed Forces University in Munich, the drone was designed to bypass anti-drone systems. It was discovered by a bus driver near a Ukrainian cargo plane. Surveillance footage suggests the drone may have hit the plane's wing, near the fuel tanks, but failed to detonate. The explosive used was Semtex, the same type used in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing that killed 270 people.

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The kamikaze drone was designed not to be detected by anti-drone systems.

Masala described the incident as a "professional actor" carrying out an "attempted attack," stating it represents a "completely new level" and the first such attempt in Germany or likely Europe. While some speculate the intrusion was a warning, Masala believes the intention was likely to cause an explosion, given the use of military-grade Semtex. The perpetrators remain unidentified, with German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt referring to a "foreign actor" using "professional technology," but no specific entity has been named.

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It was de facto an attempted attack, carried out by a professional actor. This is a completely new level. This is the first time such an attempted attack has occurred in Germany, and probably also in Europe.