Opposing politicians unite over concerns of "hybrid” warfare targeting Germany

German opposition politicians are calling for the newly established National Security Council to convene after an explosive-laden drone was discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport this week, describing the incident as a possible serious hybrid attack requiring a coordinated national response.

In a rare moment of agreement between normally competing parties, members of the diametrically opposed Green Party, as well as the business-oriented FDP, are calling for a prompt and harsh response to this incident by the government, as German media outlets report.

Katharina Dröge, chairwoman of the Green Party’s parliamentary group, called the incident a “significant and serious hybrid attack” and said many questions remained unanswered

“If this was state terrorism, it requires a clear and decisive response from the Federal Republic of Germany,” Dröge said.

The National Security Council was created last year by Germany’s centre-right and centre-left coalition government to enable a faster and more effective response to crises and security threats. The body includes members of the federal government and security agencies, while representatives from Germany’s states can also be invited.

Dröge called for Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius to take part in any discussions over the drone incident and argued that the seriousness of the case warranted consultations at NATO level.

Free Democratic Party (FDP) Secretary-General Martin Hagen joined this call and also urged the government to take immediate action.

“The dispute over responsibilities for drone defence must finally be resolved with legal certainty,” Hagen said, calling for mandatory anti-drone systems at all airports and the creation of specialised drone defence units within both federal and state police forces.

The German Airports Association (BDL) said airports across the country are currently being equipped “at lightning speed” with advanced counter-drone technology. The eight largest airports — Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Leipzig/Halle and Cologne/Bonn — are being prioritised.

Berlin on edge over "hybrid threat"

The security alert at Leipzig/Halle Airport was triggered overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday this week after a drone was spotted near the facility, temporarily halting operations. Authorities later discovered another drone on airport grounds that had been fitted with explosives and a detonator. The device was found close to several Ukrainian cargo aircraft but was successfully defused.

During a second incident that same night, an unidentified object collided with a cargo plane, which later landed in Hanover with minor damage.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt cut short his holiday and returned to the country following the incident, calling it “a very serious security-related event” and part of a broader “hybrid threat.”

“This was not the work of amateurs,” Dobrindt said, adding that the drone appeared to have been deliberately modified to bypass defence systems.

Leipzig is a major logistics hub for military supplies destined for Ukraine and has previously been linked to suspected sabotage operations.

German officials told Euractiv that Germany, as Ukraine’s largest European military supporter, has increasingly become a target for Russian hybrid operations.

The incident comes amid growing concerns across Europe over the use of drones for espionage, disruption and potential attacks against critical infrastructure. Governments have been under pressure to strengthen airspace protection as inexpensive and increasingly sophisticated drone technology becomes more widely available.

By Nazrin Sadigova