What is this drone found at Leipzig airport, and why are European officials calling it a pattern?

An explosive drone was discovered at Leipzig/Halle airport in Germany, and security officials across Europe have said it fits a pattern of likely Russian-linked activity. Leipzig is not a random target. It is one of the biggest cargo hubs in Europe, with a large DHL operation, and it has been used for military logistics connected to Ukraine.

The pattern officials are talking about goes back a couple of years: incendiary devices found in parcels moving through European courier networks, sabotage of rail lines, arson at warehouses linked to Ukrainian supply, and drones spotted over military and industrial sites in Germany, Poland, and the Baltic states. Individually each incident can be explained away. Together they look like a deliberate campaign to disrupt supply chains and test how Europe responds.

Germany has been slower than Poland or the Baltics to say the word 'Russia' out loud in these cases, partly for legal reasons and partly because of the political sensitivity. That is changing. Berlin recently closed the Russian House cultural centre, and Moscow retaliated by ordering Goethe-Institut branches in Russia shut.

For airports, the immediate result is tighter screening of cargo and more scrutiny of who has access to airside areas. Expect delays in air freight from Europe to be a recurring theme this autumn.