Attack on Ukrainian plane in Leipzig: Investigators uncover key evidence pointing to Russia

Attack on Ukrainian plane in Leipzig: Investigators uncover key evidence pointing to Russia

The drone was specially prepared and modified for the attack

Near the site of the attack on the Ukrainian An-124 Ruslan aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport, investigators discovered a suspicious antenna. Several DNA traces were also found, Tagesschau reports.

Antenna in the An-124 case in Leipzig
Investigators found a small antenna in a tree that could prove very important in the search for the saboteurs. Authorities now suspect that it was installed by the perpetrators, according to the outlet.

Experts believe it may have amplified the signal used to guide an explosive-laden drone toward the airport.

DNA found on drone wreckage
Security authorities hope to obtain additional clues about the perpetrators from DNA traces found on a can filled with explosives.

Other suspicious DNA traces of varying quality were found both on the drone itself and near the crime scene.

There is a so-called trace match that may be connected to another case in which the same DNA was found. Another trace apparently leads to Lithuania.

Modified drone
According to sources close to the investigation, the drone was a specially developed model equipped with an additional battery to extend its flight time, Tagesschau reports.

It also:
- had no navigation lights,
- was equipped with a camera,
- had a 5G router and two SIM cards connected.

Control via mobile network
Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office suspects that the drone was controlled via a mobile network, possibly from a long distance.

The technical equipment could theoretically have allowed the drone to be controlled from anywhere in the world.

Therefore, the discovery of an antenna in a tree near the airport suggests that the perpetrators wanted to create the strongest and least obstructed control signal possible for the drone, according to the outlet.