Germany has formally accused Russia of carrying out a drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month, announcing a series of diplomatic measures against Moscow in response, including the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn and termination of the contract for the Russian House in Berlin.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told a Berlin press conference that examination of the equipment used alongside intelligence findings proved Russian involvement in the August 4 attack. A drone carrying an explosive device was discovered at the airport, located near Ukrainian cargo planes operated by Antonov Airlines. The device failed to detonate due to what investigators believe was a faulty detonator.
A second drone is suspected to have collided with a cargo aircraft nearby, and a third was found near the airport ten days later. Dobrindt said the attack followed the “well-established pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe” and warned that Germany should expect to be targeted again.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, standing alongside Dobrindt, summoned Russia’s ambassador Sergei Nechayev to the foreign ministry. He announced tighter entry controls for Russian nationals, and pledged to increase pressure on Moscow’s shadow fleet.
Russia denied everything. President Vladimir Putin accused Germany of planting evidence to blame Moscow, without providing any supporting material. The Russian embassy in Berlin described the allegation as “absurd.”
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow would respond in a “mirror-image” fashion and accused Berlin of “sponsoring terrorism” through its military and financial support for Ukraine.
NATO Backs Claim
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte backed Germany directly. “The evidence is clear. And I welcome the measures announced by Germany in response,” he wrote on social media. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc was preparing additional sanctions against Russia. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham described Russian attempts to undermine Western resolve as “futile and doomed to fail.
“Leipzig/Halle Airport serves as a logistics hub for Germany’s military and NATO allies and is a base for Ukraine’s aerial cargo operations. However, strategic logic of targeting it is not difficult to follow.
Germany has been described by its own government as the “daily target” of hybrid warfare. Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned last week that those conducting hostile acts against Germany would “pay a price.”
One CDU lawmaker said the measures announced on Tuesday still fell far short of what was required. Further arguing that Moscow “just laughs” when its ambassador is summoned.
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