According to German officials, airport personnel discovered a drone near the airport's southern runway beside a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft, which has been operating from Leipzig since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Authorities later said the drone contained an explosive device with a defective detonator, preventing it from detonating. While emergency crews were responding on the ground, a DHL cargo aircraft departing Leipzig struck an unidentified airborne object shortly after takeoff. A NATO spokesperson acknowledged that an incident involving a drone occurred near a Ukrainian Antonov aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport but said German authorities were leading the investigation. German police, federal aviation investigators and security agencies continue to examine the drone, the damaged aircraft and other evidence to determine whether the airport incidents were accidental, coordinated or part of a deliberate attack.