Two Syrians explain hole in Leipzig airport fence in Germany

Two Syrians have gone to German police and said they were the ones who punched a hole in the fence around Leipzig/Halle airport in eastern Germany. According to them, it was an accident: a 20-year-old without a driving licence got behind the wheel to prepare for his driving-school exam and lost control. Leipzig police reported this.

Airport security found the hole in the fence shortly before midnight on Saturday. The discovery caused alarm: in August a hybrid incident had already occurred on the airport grounds, when an employee found a drone carrying explosives near Ukrainian aircraft, although the detonator apparently was faulty. Germany blamed Russian intelligence services for the attempted attack; Moscow denies this.

The first findings already suggested that the fence had been rammed by a car travelling on a public road. Search teams combing the grounds found neither a vehicle nor any intruders. Since 2022, Russian An-124 transport aircraft have been parked next to the damaged section: because of EU sanctions against Russia, they cannot take off.

According to police, the Syrians came forward on Sunday. A 20-year-old man without a licence was at the wheel, with the 32-year-old owner of the car beside him. The driver was practising for his exam, lost control of the car and drove into the fence, they claim. A part of an Audi A5 was found at the scene, and police seized a car of the same make from the Syrians. Police are now checking whether their account is plausible and are treating the case as leaving the scene of an accident and driving without a licence.

Read also: Exchanging a driving licence for a Czech one

Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz