Berlin has officially held Moscow responsible for an attempted sabotage at the strategically important Leipzig/Halle Airport. The statement was made by Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.
On August 4, a drone carrying explosives and a detonator was discovered in a restricted cargo area of the airport, near Ukrainian An-124 aircraft. The device failed to explode because of a faulty detonator. Bomb disposal specialists defused it using a robot. Investigators believe a second drone collided with a cargo aircraft nearby; another drone was later found near the airport.
Dobrindt said the conclusion was based on the police investigation, the pattern of the crime, and intelligence findings. The drone’s design, components, type of explosive, and detonation method match known Russian hybrid operations.
“The federal government concludes that Russia is responsible for the hybrid attack in Leipzig on August 4. We are not at war, but we are a daily target of hybrid attacks,” the interior minister said.
Wadephul described the incident as part of a “long series” of Russian actions aimed at destabilizing Europe and announced countermeasures: the closure of Russia’s consulate general in Bonn, termination of the contract with the Russian House in Berlin, tighter entry controls for Russian nationals, and increased pressure on the “shadow fleet.” Russian Ambassador Sergei Nechayev has been summoned to the Foreign Ministry.
The European Union expressed solidarity with Germany, and NATO reaffirmed its readiness to defend allies. Berlin does not view the Leipzig case as an isolated incident and expects further hybrid attacks. Authorities stress that Germany “will not allow attacks to divide society” and will act together with its partners.
The investigation continues.