Germany has officially attributed last month’s drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport to Russia, stating that intelligence findings and forensic examination of recovered equipment confirmed the operation followed established patterns of Russian hybrid warfare.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced the conclusions after a drone carrying an explosive device was discovered near Ukrainian cargo planes at Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4. Investigators noted that the initial device failed to detonate due to a faulty detonator, while evidence indicated a second drone collided with a nearby cargo aircraft and a third device was located ten days later. The logistics facility serves as a vital base for military transport used by NATO allies and Antonov Airlines, which handles the majority of Ukraine’s aerial cargo, as reported by BBC.
In response, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn, terminated the contract for the Russian House in Berlin amid concerns over intelligence operations, and announced stricter entry controls for Russian nationals alongside increased pressure on Moscow’s shadow fleet of tankers. Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the accusations as baseless and lacking evidence, while Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova vowed a mirror-image response and criticized Berlin’s military and economic support for Kyiv.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed full solidarity with Germany, with the EU preparing additional sanctions. Meanwhile, German police are investigating a separate incident involving improvised explosive devices that damaged a power line at a substation in Brandenburg, causing a temporary outage.
