Germany said Russia was behind the drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport last month. On 4 August, a drone carrying an explosive device was discovered near Ukrainian cargo planes, but it did not go off because, according to a preliminary assessment, the detonator was faulty.
Investigators also suspect that a second drone may have collided near the cargo plane. Another drone, they said, was found at the airport 10 days after the incident. Leipzig/Halle airport is used by German military personnel and NATO allies to transport military cargo and serves as a base for Ukrainian Antonov Airlines.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the episode fits into a “well-known pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe”, and added that equipment inspections and intelligence data confirm Russian involvement. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who stood beside him at a press conference in Berlin, announced the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn and the termination of the contract to operate the “Russian House” in Berlin.
Wadephul also said he had summoned Russia’s ambassador to Germany, Sergey Nechayev; shortly after the announcement, he was seen at the Foreign Ministry. He promised to tighten entry controls for Russian citizens and increase pressure on Russia’s shadow fleet — old tankers that Moscow uses to evade Western sanctions after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte wrote on X that the alliance was “fully in solidarity with Germany”, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU was preparing additional sanctions against Russia; the issue was due to be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Ireland later on Tuesday. Russia’s foreign minister, Interfax reported, said Moscow would respond to “anti-Russian decisions”.
Sources
