German investigators have linked DNA recovered from an explosive-laden drone found at Leipzig/Halle Airport to evidence in a suspected GRU parcel plot, deepening scrutiny of a security incident that involved a parked Antonov Airlines An-124 freighter. The drone, which federal prosecutors took over after it was discovered near the Ukrainian cargo aircraft, is now being examined alongside a wider case involving suspected Russian intelligence-linked sabotage.
Investigators found the DNA profile in a European database and it is registered in Lithuania, but it has not been matched to a named individual. The same profile also matches evidence from the July 2024 incendiary attack on DHL’s logistics centre at Leipzig/Halle, tying the airport incident to an earlier wave of parcel-related sabotage allegations.
The broader investigation has already reached court in Lithuania, where five defendants have been on trial since April over four parcels sent from Vilnius through DHL and DPD. Prosecutors allege the operation was coordinated by people linked to Russia’s GRU, while all five defendants deny the charges. Footage reviewed by investigators reportedly shows the drone striking the An-124’s wing around 19:30 on 4 August before falling to the ground.
Leipzig/Halle is one of Europe’s busiest cargo airports and a key base for Antonov Airlines’ An-124 operations, making the case a sensitive issue for freight security, airport operations and wider concerns over hybrid threats against aviation infrastructure.