Officially, Berlin has not yet named the person it believes responsible for the incident, although in Germany there is widespread discussion of a theory of coordination from Moscow. Moscow denies involvement.
According to the investigation, on August 4 a drone with explosives was found near a Ukrainian Antonov aircraft used to transport military cargo at Leipzig/Halle airport. The drone, according to the case materials, was likely intended to land on the wing of the fuel-laden aircraft, but the charge did not detonate.
About 20 minutes later, another drone was discovered, which likely collided with a DHL cargo plane. The aircraft aborted its approach and was diverted.
A few days later, in a field in a municipality that directly borders the airport’s western boundary, a third drone was found. Forensic experts from the federal criminal police found traces of a substance that, according to the initial assessment, could have been hexogen, but it too did not explode.
Last week, Merz, without naming the alleged organizer, said: “They will pay for this”. He emphasized that a response is needed because, in his words, those involved in such acts of sabotage are prepared to go very far and accept even serious material damage, injuries, and loss of life.
According to reports by Die Welt and Politico citing sources, the German government is preparing to blame Russia. Those same reports said a new package of sanctions, tougher measures against Russia’s shadow fleet, and a possible closure of the Russian House in Berlin are being considered; in response, Russia may close the Goethe-Institut in Russia, according to the same information.
The political significance of the decision is also heightened by the election campaign in the eastern German states, which will take place this Sunday. The anti-immigration populist AfD is expected to perform strongly there; its foreign policy spokesperson Markus Frohnmaier said that Germany is “without a doubt” facing hybrid threats, but urged that transparency be ensured first and that the current state of knowledge be made public.
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