Two men turn themselves in after fence breached at Leipzig airport

Two men have turned themselves in after a security fence at Germany's Leipzig airport was found to have been breached by a vehicle, raising the alarm just over two months after an explosive-ladden drone was found near Ukrainian cargo aircraft at the airport.

However, the latest incident has turned out to be the result of an accident, Leipzig police said in a statement on Monday.

Security sources told dpa that the two men, aged 20 and 32, had been practising for a driving test near the airport on Saturday evening when they lost control over their vehicle, damaging the fence.

The incident led to the closure of one of the airport's runways while officers searched the airport grounds, though it did not impact flight operations.

Police initially found neither the vehicle nor any suspects. According to police findings, the vehicle had driven a few metres into the security area and then backed out again.

Two lawyers contacted Leipzig prosecutors and criminal police on behalf of the men on Sunday evening, police said, adding that investigations into the incident were ongoing.

The 20-year-old had been driving the vehicle without a driving licence, police found. After breaching the fence, he left the car at the site of the accident and had it towed, according to his lawyer. 

The car was later located by police on the grounds of a car dealership.

 The 32-year-old is registered as the owner of the vehicle, according to police.

Speculation had initially been rife whether the breach could be linked to the incident in August, when a drone rigged with explosives was discovered at the airport next to Ukrainian cargo aircraft.

The German government held Russia responsible for the attempted attack, while Moscow rejected the allegations.