Germany has found that Russia was behind an airport drone attack last month in Leipzig and has taken action against the country.

A drone rigged with explosives and an ‘unknown substance’ was found next to a Ukrainian cargo plane in Leipzig.

Police called a bomb squad to conduct a remote detonation, and there were no injuries or fatalities. Leipzig-Halle Airport also serves commercial aircraft passengers, but in a separate area.

It failed to explode, but investigators say a second drone collided with a cargo aircraft nearby.

Russia has denied being behind the drone, but German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said Germany is acting under the assumption that it ‘may be attacked again’.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he is closing the Russian consulate in Bonn and the contract for the Russian House in Berlin.

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Mr Dobrindt described last month’s incident as ‘a hybrid attack scenario.’

He said: ‘We are dealing here with a competition that may also include foreign powers – this will be part of the investigations – who quite obviously want to contribute to considerable uncertainty in Germany.’

Speaking at a press conference, he said the technology used pointed to professionals who knew how to circumvent drone defences at the airport.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: ‘The United Kingdom stands in full solidarity with Germany following Russia’s egregious and reckless attack in Leipzig. Russian attempts to undermine our united resolve and our willingness to support Ukraine are futile and doomed to fail.

‘As I made clear in Kyiv last week, our commitment to supporting Ukraine from Russia’s illegal invasion is ironclad. The strong measures taken by the German government show action against any attack of this nature will be met with a clear response. We will not waver in our resolve to deter attacks on our freedom and security.’

Russia has been suspected of multiple plots to set fire to or detonate explosives near cargo.

In 2024, a DHL plane flying from Leipzig Airport to Lithuania crashed, killing one and injuring three others.

That incident came just months after Russian-backed saboteurs were believed to be behind a firebomb which detonated at a DHL warehouse in Birmingham – dubbed a ‘test run’ by spies from the country.

Before the blaze in Birmingham, a near-identical fire occurred at a DHL warehouse in Leipzig, Germany – where the plane that crashed near Lithuania departed from – with another suspect package bound for a flight thought to be the source of the blaze.

European authorities, including MI6, previously alleged that Russia is behind the expanding campaign of sabotage on planes. 


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