Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Federal police defused an explosive device found on a drone at Leipzig/Halle Airport
- Investigators were also examining a second object that hit a cargo aircraft
- German Interior Minister Dobrindt says drone incident being treated as ‘hybrid attack scenario’
- A lightning strike disabled two railway crossing barriers, effectively splitting a German town in two
- A German employers’ organization warns against the watering down of government pension reforms
Here is a roundup of top stories from and about Germany on Wednesday, August 5, 2026:
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Skip next section Interior Minister says armed drone is ‘new threat scenario’08/05/2026August 5, 2026
Interior Minister says armed drone is ‘new threat scenario’
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told reporters that finding an armed drone at a German airport was a new threat situation.
“Drone sightings, drone threats including in a hybrid context, are something we know from the past,” Dobrindt said. “That a drone armed with explosives is at an airport is a new threat scenario,” he added.
“All the speculation that is currently going on about the explosives, the construction, the question of the drone, the origin and, of course, who is behind it, is now part of the investigation,” Dobrindt said.
The interior minister said “it would be short-sighted to believe that this form of threat, which objectively exists, can be combated or countered with simple measures.
“We are dealing with a competition here which may also include foreign powers. This will be part of the investigations,” he added.
In June, Dobrindt created a so-called Joint Center for Countering Hybrid Threats, as Germany has been on high alert for espionage, sabotage and disinformation, particularly from Russia.
“What is happening now also shows that the assessment made months ago — that we are dealing with a high level of danger — was justified,” Dobrindt added.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5IMfRSkip next section Interior Minister Dobrindt says drone incident treated as ‘hybrid attack scenario’08/05/2026August 5, 2026
Interior Minister Dobrindt says drone incident treated as ‘hybrid attack scenario’
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said that the explosive drone at Leipzig airport spells “a new level of danger” for the country and is seen as a “hybrid attack scenario.”
The minister addressed journalists at Leipzig-Halle airport, after canceling his summer vacation to return to Germany to deal with the matter.
He added that people behind the incident would need to have a high level of technical expertise and experience in dealing with explosives. This spoke against “an amateurish approach,” Dobrindt said.
“We are dealing here with a professional hybrid threat scenario,” he added.
Earlier, Saxony’s Interior Minister Armin Schuster (CDU) said that authorities are searching for parts of a possible second drone. “The threat is no longer abstract; it is high,” Schuster said of the incident.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IMQASkip next section Brass musicians in Bavaria break world record08/05/2026August 5, 2026
Brass musicians in Bavaria break world record
The Record Institute of Germany (RID) recognized a brass orchestra’s 72-hour performance in Bavaria as the “longest wind ensemble concert (relay)” in the world and entered it into its record register, RID Vice President Thomas Engelbrecht announced on Wednesday.
Around 1,850 brass musicians finished the unprecedented performance with a church service In St. Jacob’s church in Nürnberg, this Sunday.
The event involved over 140 bands from across the German state, with them swapping roughly every 90 minutes to ensure there are no interruptions longer than 10 seconds. While the performance ended without a hitch, the musicians still had to wait for the RID to confirm the new record.
“This record is a tremendous team effort by all the musicians, helpers, and supporters involved, both on stage and behind the scenes,” the event organizers said, adding that it marked “an impressive example of the cohesion and diversity of trombone orchestra work in Bavaria.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5IMZ8Skip next section READ: German court jails far-right youth terror cell members08/05/2026August 5, 2026
READ: German court jails far-right youth terror cell members
A Hamburg court has handed down stiff prison sentences to members of the far-right terrorist group “Last Wave of Defense.” Politicians are warning that those drawn into extremist violence are getting younger.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IMQCSkip next section Drone recovered near Ukrainian plane08/05/2026August 5, 2026
Drone recovered near Ukrainian plane
Local news reported that the bomb disposal robot disabled the drone near an Antonov plane painted with the yellow and blue of the Ukrainian flag.
The words “Be Brave Like Kherson” were written on the side in English, in a reference to a Ukrainian region battered by Russian strikes.
Leipzig airport is a key transport hub for military goods by the German armed forces and NATO allies and it also serves as a base for Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines.
Marc Henrichmann, the conservative chairman of the German parliament’s intelligence oversight committee, said that the incident in Leipzig looked like “an attempt to target a company of importance for Ukraine”
If confirmed, it “would represent a new level of escalation in these sorts of attacks,” Henrichmann told the Rheinische Post newspaper.
Russia has not commented on the incident.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5IMP8Skip next section Germany has seen repeated drone and sabotage incidents08/05/2026August 5, 2026
Germany has seen repeated drone and sabotage incidents
The Leipzig airport incident comes after years of drone sightings over sensitive sites in Germany and other NATO allies since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The drone flyovers were reported above other airports, but also over military bases and industrial facilities.
German authorities have accused Russia of orchestrating many such incidents as part of a wider campaign involving sabotage, espionage and disinformation. Moscow has denied involvement.
Leipzig/Halle Airport was already at the center of a suspected sabotage plot in July 2024, when a parcel caught fire before it could be loaded onto a DHL cargo aircraft. Security services treated the incident as potentially linked to Russia.
Last year, a Chinese national was also convicted of passing information about flight schedules and cargo movements at Leipzig/Halle Airport to a man accused of spying for Beijing.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, commented on the latest case by drawing a link to the 2024 DHL incident.
“Indeed, Russia has long been waging this hybrid war,” he said. “Yet the word ‘hybrid’ somehow downplays the fact that Russia is waging war not only against Ukraine but also against Europe.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5ILLWSkip next section German Interior Minister Dobrindt cuts short holiday over Leipzig drone incident08/05/2026August 5, 2026
German Interior Minister Dobrindt cuts short holiday over Leipzig drone incident
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has interrupted his holiday to travel to Leipzig/Halle Airport for security talks following the drone incident.
He is due to meet Saxony Interior Minister Armin Schuster and senior federal and state security officials at the scene, his ministry said.
The head of Germany’s federal police Dieter Romann and domestic intelligence chief Sinan Selen are also expected to attend.
Dobrindt is then due to brief the media later in the day.
Schuster earlier warned of a “very serious security incident.”
He said state and federal security agencies were working closely together, including Germany’s joint center for countering hybrid threats and the federal police’s drone defense unit.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IKtPSkip next section Explosive-laden drone defused at Leipzig airport08/05/2026August 5, 2026
Explosive-laden drone defused at Leipzig airport
German federal police specialists have defused a drone carrying an explosive device after an overnight security incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
Officials said the detonator has been removed from an as-yet unidentified explosive device. Authorities say they are not ruling out a political motive, noting that the airport in eastern Germany forms part of the country’s critical infrastructure.
The drone carrying the explosive device was found late on Wednesday by an airport employee on the southern runway, according to investigators.
Another flying object later apparently collided with a cargo aircraft, which had aborted its landing after the initial alert and had remained in the air.
Minor damage was discovered after the aircraft landed in Hanover.
Flight operations were initially halted completely after the drone was found.
The northern runway was eventually reopened following a large-scale security sweep overnight, while the southern runway was due to remain closed on Wednesday for maintenance.
Investigators said there was no danger to passengers or airport staff and that passenger flights were not affected.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IKejSkip next section Court rules owner can criticize restaurant online after her dog ate mouse poison there08/05/2026August 5, 2026
Court rules owner can criticize restaurant online after her dog ate mouse poison there
A German court has ruled in favor of a woman who publicly criticized a restaurant after her dachshund ate mouse poison while she was dining there.
The Frankfurt Higher Regional Court rejected the restaurant operator’s attempt to stop her from describing the incident on Instagram and a review platform.
The woman had visited the restaurant in the Rhine-Main region in spring 2026 with her dachshund, which was lying under a bench inside.
The dog ate mouse bait from a pest-control bait station that had somehow been left accessible and later needed treatment at a veterinary clinic.
That same day, the owner posted about the incident on her own Instagram account and on an account she ran for the dog.
She described what happened as “shocking” and a “massive failure of safety and hygiene.”
The court found that readers would understand those remarks as referring to a single incident rather than suggesting the restaurant had permanent or structural hygiene problems.
Judges said the woman was entitled to describe the fact that her dog had been able to reach poison as a “massive” failure, even if her wording was emotional and somewhat exaggerated. They also found that her inaccurate description of the harmful substance as “rat poison” was not so serious a mistake as to warrant restricting her comment.
The statements were therefore protected expressions of opinion, it ruled.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IKInSkip next section German court jails members of far-right youth terror cell08/05/2026August 5, 2026
German court jails members of far-right youth terror cell
A court in Hamburg has handed down prison sentences of up to five years to eight alleged members and supporters of the far-right group “Letzte Verteidigungswelle” (Last Wave of Defense).
The Higher Regional Court convicted the young defendants on charges including membership in a terrorist organization and attempted murder.
Prosecutors said the group had planned bomb and arson attacks targeting refugees and left-wing activists and had already carried out several attacks.
Seven defendants received juvenile prison sentences ranging from two years and four months to five years. Another was given an 18-month suspended sentence. Three defendants were also convicted of leading the group.
The presiding judge said they had aimed to “create chaos.”
Authorities dismantled the group in May last year after investigations spanning several German states.
Prosecutors said members carried out an overnight arson attack on an occupied cultural center in Altdöbern in October 2024 and a pyrotechnic attack on a refugee accommodation center in Schmölln, Thuringia, in January 2025.
No one was injured, although investigators said that was partly down to chance.
The group had also been planning another attack on a refugee center in Senftenberg, Brandenburg.
Several suspects were arrested in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg and Hesse. They were between 14 and 21 years old at the time.
Because some defendants were minors, much of the trial was held behind closed doors. The verdict was delivered publicly.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IJt0Skip next section Low water levels in the Danube reveal Nazi shipwrecks08/05/2026August 5, 2026
Low water levels in the Danube reveal Nazi shipwrecks
Europe’s second-longest river, the Danube, has reached levels so low that sunken German battleships from World War II have emerged from the dried-out riverbed.
Read more about the story here.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IJn7Skip next section Low Rhine levels could push up German inflation08/05/2026August 5, 2026
Low Rhine levels could push up German inflation
Persistently low water levels on the Rhine could temporarily push Germany’s inflation rate up by as much as half a percentage point, economists have warned.
Low water levels are forcing ships to carry much lighter loads, driving up the cost of transporting chemicals, energy supplies and other industrial goods.
Traders said tanker and barge transport costs from Rotterdam to Karlsruhe have climbed to around €150-160 per ton, compared with about €45 at the end of June.
“The German inflation rate could temporarily rise by up to half a percentage point as a result,” Berenberg economist Felix Schmidt told the Reuters news agency.
ING chief economist Carsten Brzeski also said shortages and disrupted deliveries could make a wide range of goods more expensive.
“If ships can only be loaded to one-third of capacity or less, correspondingly more ships have to be used, or more expensive alternatives such as trucks or rail,” Hamburg Commercial Bank chief economist Cyrus de la Rubia said.
Economists also warned that the disruption could last for months. In previous years, Rhine water levels have often not recovered significantly until November.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IJ4lSkip next section German employers warn against U-turn on early retirement08/05/2026August 5, 2026
German employers warn against U-turn on early retirement
A German employer group has sharply criticized calls to preserve the country’s early retirement scheme as debate grows over a proposed overhaul of the pension system.
A government-appointed pension commission presented 33 proposals in June, including abolishing the option of retiring without deductions for people who have paid into the system for particularly long periods.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) leadership initially said they wanted to implement the package as closely as possible to the commission’s recommendations.
However, several state premiers from both Merz’s conservative Christian Democratic Union and the SPD have since pushed back against parts of the plan, with particularly strong criticism coming from eastern Germany.
Steffen Kampeter, head of the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations, told the Bild newspaper that Germany would not be able to protect jobs and remain competitive without reforming the welfare state.
“I am stunned that central elements of the pension package are already being called into question before they have even been implemented,” Kampeter said.
“Anyone who at the same time sticks to retirement from 63 is ignoring the shortage of skilled workers, demographic change and the economic situation,” he said.
He warned that watering down the reforms could squander “perhaps the last chance” to make the pension system sustainable as Germany’s population ages.
“A future-proof pension system needs more employment, more contributors and solid financing – not ever more promises at the expense of the younger generation,” Kampeter said.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5IINCSkip next section Unknown object briefly halts flights at Leipzig airport08/05/2026August 5, 2026
Unknown object briefly halts flights at Leipzig airport
Flights at Leipzig/Halle Airport were temporarily suspended overnight after an unidentified object was spotted near one of the runways.
Saxony state police said one passenger aircraft and several cargo planes were diverted to other airports during the disruption.
The incident began at around 11:40 p.m. on Tuesday, when an unknown object was seen and another item was later found near the southern runway.
State and federal police are investigating, and a bomb disposal robot was deployed. A police spokesperson told the AFP news agency it was still unclear what the object was.
“There is no danger to the public,” the spokesperson said.
Flights resumed at 1:55 a.m. and are now operating via the airport’s northern runway, while the southern runway remains partially closed as investigators search for evidence.
The diverted passenger flight was a delayed service from Palma de Mallorca, which was rerouted to Nuremberg.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5IIFiSkip next section Lightning strike splits town in two08/05/2026August 5, 2026
Lightning strike splits town in two
A lightning strike has knocked out barriers at two railway crossings in the Bavarian town of Harburg, effectively splitting the town in two.
Police said the affected roads are the only direct links between the western and eastern parts of Harburg and can no longer be crossed by car.
Residents now face detours of several kilometers, while road crews were working on Wednesday morning to set up alternative routes.
It was unclear when the damage would be repaired. Police said the disruption could continue into the morning rush hour.
A Deutsche Bahn technician has been notified, but repairs may take time because of numerous other weather-related faults.
Until then, the barriers will remain closed.
Police also warned drivers not to use unofficial shortcuts or attempt to drive around the lowered barriers.
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