Two men have surrendered after a vehicle damaged the security fence at Leipzig/Halle Airport, near three Russian Antonov cargo aircraft grounded under EU sanctions since 2022. Police now regard the 17–18 October incident as an apparent driving accident rather than a confirmed hostile intrusion. One runway was temporarily closed, but airport operations otherwise continued and later returned to normal.
The men, aged 20 and 32, turned themselves in on the evening of 18 October. The younger man told police he had been practising for a driving test without a valid licence when he lost control of the vehicle, which broke through the fence. The occupants then left the scene. Police seized the car and opened an investigation that includes the alleged failure to remain at the scene after causing damage.
The breach was discovered at about 23:00 near the airport’s northern area. Police searched the grounds with specialist teams, a helicopter and drones, finding no unauthorised person or suspicious object. Initial evidence indicated that the fence was struck by a vehicle rather than deliberately cut.
The incident prompted heightened concern because Leipzig/Halle was the site of an August security incident involving an explosives-laden drone found near Ukrainian cargo aircraft. German authorities attributed that incident to Russia, while Moscow denied the allegation. No link has been established between the drone case and the October fence damage.