German authorities have launched an investigation after an explosive-laden drone was discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport, an incident officials described as marking a dangerous new level of security threat.

Airport operations were briefly disrupted late Tuesday after a flying object was spotted near the airport shortly before midnight, prompting the closure of both runways at one of Europe’s busiest air cargo hubs. Several flights, including a passenger aircraft, were diverted to alternate airports.

Bomb disposal specialists deployed an anti-explosives robot to examine an object found near the airport’s southern runway.

Police and prosecutors later confirmed that an airport employee had discovered a drone carrying what they described as an unidentified explosive device. Bomb disposal experts safely removed the detonator before the device was neutralized.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt traveled to the airport after cutting short his vacation and warned that the incident represented an unprecedented security challenge.

“The fact that a drone was carrying explosives is a new quality of danger,” Dobrindt told reporters.

“We have dealt with drone sightings and drone-related threats before, including in the context of hybrid attacks. But a drone armed with explosives at an airport represents an entirely new threat scenario,” he added.

Dobrindt described the incident as a possible “hybrid attack scenario” but declined to identify any suspects or provide further details while the investigation remains ongoing.

He said authorities are focusing on determining the origin of the drone, the type of explosives used and those responsible for the operation.

Meanwhile, Saxony Interior Minister Armin Schuster said investigators are searching for components of what may have been a second drone.

According to police and prosecutors, another unidentified flying object apparently collided with a cargo aircraft after the crew aborted its landing because of the runway closure.

The aircraft diverted to Hannover Airport, about 200 kilometers northwest of Leipzig, where inspectors found minor damage to the plane.

The airport’s northern runway reopened approximately two hours after the incident, while the southern runway remained closed as scheduled for maintenance on Wednesday.

Authorities said there was no danger to passengers or airport staff once the device had been secured, and normal flight operations resumed during the day as investigators continued examining the incident.