An explosives-laden drone was discovered at a German airport in one of Europe’s busiest freight terminals near Ukrainian cargo planes.
“The initial evidence points firmly towards a Russian-orchestrated plot,” The Guardian’s security editor said, saying the episode marks “a dangerous escalation.” Though a faulty detonator prevented an explosion, the roughly 1.5 lb of explosive the drone carried would “do considerable damage” to an airplane.
Moscow has launched several aerial excursions into NATO airspace recently — 20 drones crossed into Poland in September, and analysts believe the Kremlin was behind a surveillance campaign over military sites — as well as sabotage and cyberattacks. Russia is pressing an aggressive hybrid campaign to “exploit allied hesitation, and fracture European resolve,” wrote one commentator.