Germany says Russia responsible for Leipzig airport drone attackPosted Wed 2 Sep 2026 at 2:40amWed 2 Sep 2026 at 2:40amWed 2 Sep 2026 at 2:40am
In short:
Germany says Russia was behind an incident involving an explosive-laden drone at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement in hybrid attacks in the past.
Germany’s foreign minister says further sanctions could be levelled against Russians as a result.
The German government has directly blamed Russia for an incident last month involving an explosive-laden drone at a strategic airport in the eastern city of Leipzig.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said that after assessing the technology used and other intelligence information “the government concludes that Russia is responsible for the hybrid attack in Leipzig on August 4”.
In response, Berlin has announced it will close Russia’s consulate in the former capital Bonn later this month, and cancel the lease for the Russian House, a cultural centre in the capital city, according to Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.
He said Germany would also recommend more Russian individuals be targeted for European Union sanctions.
The announcement marks the latest accusation levelled at Moscow of alleged hybrid attacks across the continent.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc stands in “full solidarity” with Germany.
“We are united in our resolve to stand against Russian aggression. We will deter anyone who seeks to undermine our freedom and security,” von der Leyen wrote on X, adding the European Union was preparing additional sanctions against Russia.
Mark Rutte, who heads up the NATO military alliance, said he had held talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about the revelations.
“NATO will continue to strengthen our ability to deter and defend all Allies against any threat — including malign actions like those seen in Leipzig and elsewhere across the Alliance,” he wrote on X.
“Russia’s attempts to intimidate us, to undermine our unity and our willingness to support Ukraine are futile and will fail.“
Russia has been repeatedly accused of being behind hybrid attacks on logistics centres, transport hubs and undersea cables across Europe.
Security experts say such attacks are an attempt to weaken support for Ukraine among allies.
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement.
Last month’s alleged attack saw a drone packed with explosives discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport, a major logistics hub for military equipment and for German freight company DHL.
The drone was uncovered not far from a parked Ukrainian jet.
A bomb disposal robot was used on the drone and flights to and from the airport were temporarily disrupted.
Another drone was reportedly found weeks later near the airport, also with traces of an explosive substance.
Germany’s accusation came on that European defence leaders met to discuss beefing up their defences in the face of a more aggressive Russia.
“Europe is investing more in defence than ever, but spending alone is not automatically a guarantee for success,” the European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, told journalists in Ireland.
“We have not been fast enough to cover the gaps in Europe’s conventional power within NATO.“
European countries started ramping up military budgets after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump has also piled pressure on Europe to spend more on defence as Washington signals it wants to step back from the continent to focus on other challenges such as China.