Germany: Leipzig airport drone attack was Russian
by Lisa Hornung · UPISept. 1 (UPI) -- Germany on Tuesday accused Russia of responsibility for a drone attack at Leipzig's airport last month and announced new measures against Moscow.
"We are not at war, but we are a daily target of hybrid attacks," Germany's interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, told reporters.
On Aug. 4, a drone carrying an explosive device was found close to Ukrainian cargo planes at Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany.
The drone didn't explode because the detonator was faulty. A second one crashed into a cargo plane nearby, and a third was found near the airport 10 days later. An examination of the drones proved they were Russian, Dobrindt said.
Leipzig/Halle Airport is used by NATO and the German military for the transportation of military goods. It's also a base for Ukraine's Antonov Airlines, the country's air cargo carrier.
Last week, Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that those who attack Germany would "pay a price."
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the bloc "stands in full solidarity with Germany."
"The evidence is clear. And I welcome the measures announced by Germany in response. 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," Rutte posted on X.
Dobrindt said the attack followed the "well-established pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe," and that the country assumes it will be targeted again. The German government raised its threat level to "high."
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, standing with Dobrindt at a press conference in Berlin, said he would order the Russian consulate in Bonn to close. He also said the contract for the Russian House of Science and Culture in Berlin will also be terminated. Some have accused it of being used for spying and propaganda.
Wadephul said there will be tighter entry controls for Russian nationals and more pressure on Russia's shadow fleet. The fleet has been sanctioned since 2022. He said he summoned Russia's ambassador to Germany, Sergei Nechayev, who was seen arriving at the foreign ministry soon after the press conference, the BBC reported.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on X that the European Union "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," she said. "Russia is seeking to sow distrust and fear among our societies. But it will fail. And we will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes."