A Ukrainian An-124 cargo plane was reportedly carrying munitions when it was targeted by a drone loaded with explosives at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany. This information emerged following a joint investigation by the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung and public broadcasters NDR and WDR.

The specifics of the munitions were not disclosed, leaving unclear whether they were military supplies intended for Ukraine or a shipment contracted by Antonov Airlines as part of NATO operations. German media also referenced a confidential police report indicating that the explosive device attached to the drone was a high-powered military product, not a typical improvised explosive.

On the same day, Ukraine's Strategic Communications Center (SPRAVDI) released images of the drone on the ground near the An-124, noting that the detonation mechanism had malfunctioned and failed to activate the explosives. The drone was found close to the Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport early on August 5.

The Saxony police have not yet commented on the reports regarding the Ukrainian plane carrying munitions. These findings could escalate the ongoing terrorism investigation related to the incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport, a critical hub in the military logistics network of the German armed forces and NATO allies, categorized as essential infrastructure.

Antonov Airlines, based at Leipzig/Halle, has been operating there due to the ongoing conflict preventing access to their home base near Kyiv. On August 5, German police issued an alert at the airport after discovering the drone on the runway, prompting the deployment of bomb disposal robots to neutralize and destroy it.

A DHL cargo plane had to abort its landing and gain altitude due to the alert, later colliding with an unidentified object at an altitude of 400 meters, approximately 6 kilometers from the runway. The aircraft landed safely in Hanover with minor damage, according to police reports.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the incident as signaling a "new level of danger." He emphasized that the technology used indicates this was not an amateur act, suggesting a professional mixed-threat scenario.

Authorities continue to search for debris from the unidentified object that struck the DHL cargo plane. German officials have yet to determine the origin of the drones involved. Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the German Parliament's Intelligence Committee, and Oleksii Makeiev, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, both accused Russia of being responsible for the incident. The Russian government has not yet commented on the matter.