Germany's federal-level Interior Ministry has internally denied reports that a Ukrainian aircraft involved in the drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport was loaded with ammunition, dpa learned on Thursday.
In a briefing for parliamentary coordinators in the lower house of parliament, or Bundestag, attended by members of the interior and defence committees, it was made clear that no ammunition was on board the aircraft.
A report by Focus magazine on the denial matches information received by dpa. The ministry has not responded to an official request for comment.
An airport worker spotted the explosive-laden drone late on Tuesday on the southern runway at Leipzig/Halle Airport. According to security sources, it was located near a Ukrainian Antonov AN-124 Condor cargo aircraft. Federal Police specialists defused the explosive device.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt is inviting counterparts to a meeting following the drone incident, his ministry confirmed on Thursday.
Ministers from eastern European EU member states and Baltic Sea coastal states are to attend the meeting, due to take place at the end of August at the Mürwik Naval Academy in the far northern city of Flensburg near the Danish border.
Interior ministers from the Baltic States, Poland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark have been invited.
According to the ministry, the aim of the talks is to coordinate a joint defence strategy to combat drones and to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure.