Germany raises the stakes with Russia after an attempted attack at Leipzig cargo airport. Berlin says the operation was designed to target a Ukrainian military aircraft and a DHL cargo plane. NATO warns that Russian intimidation will fail, while Giorgia Meloni expresses “full solidarity” with Germany
The German government has broken its silence and directly accused the Kremlin over the mysterious incident at Leipzig Airport, describing the failed drone and explosives attack as an act of hybrid warfare commissioned by Russia on German soil.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul jointly announced the findings. “Taken together, the police investigations, the methods used and intelligence information demonstrate Russia’s responsibility for the attempted attack at Leipzig Airport,” Dobrindt said.
For days, German media had speculated that Chancellor Friedrich Merz was preparing to publicly identify Moscow as the force behind the operation, following conclusions already reached by investigators and journalists.
Berlin has responded with immediate measures and tougher rhetoric. The Russian consulate general in Bonn and the Russian House of Science and Culture in Berlin will be closed, with German authorities viewing both institutions as potential platforms for Russian intelligence activities.
Controls on Russian citizens will also be tightened, while pressure on Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, which transports oil, will be increased.
Wadephul said the failed attack showed that “the Russian leadership has deliberately chosen to significantly damage our already strained bilateral relations.”
“The German government will therefore take action against Russia as the party responsible for the hybrid attack and make it more difficult to carry out further attacks in Germany and Europe,” he added.
Moscow has rejected the accusations, expressing surprise at what it portrayed as an implausible allegation. Russia then responded with its own counter-accusation, claiming that Berlin is “sponsoring terrorism” by helping Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression.
An operation carried out in three stages
Dobrindt provided further details about the investigation. The incident, which took place on August 4, only became public around ten days later.
According to the German authorities, the operation unfolded in at least three stages.
First, a drone carrying explosive material was found next to a Ukrainian Antonov aircraft. Leipzig is a major logistics hub used by NATO and an important route for military supplies heading to Ukraine, making the Ukrainian aircraft the likely primary target.
After the airport was temporarily closed and then reopened, another drone struck a DHL cargo aircraft. It caused no damage and was apparently intended for reconnaissance.
Ten days later, a third drone was discovered, along with military-grade RDX explosives nearby. These unexploded materials helped investigators establish the origin and nature of the operation.
Low-level operatives recruited online
Dobrindt said the drone’s configuration, components, detonation technology and explosives had all been identified in previous Russian operations.
“The technology identified at the scene points to a high level of technical expertise,” he said.
But the people allegedly involved were described as low-level operatives rather than trained intelligence officers.
“They are low-level agents, in other words private individuals without specialist training, recruited online by foreign intelligence services for espionage, propaganda or sabotage,” Dobrindt said.
According to the German government, the individuals acted on behalf of Russian state authorities.
The use of such recruits has become an increasingly familiar feature of suspected Russian sabotage operations across Europe. With Russia having lost much of its traditional network of official intelligence operatives following the expulsion of spies operating under diplomatic cover, criminal or otherwise untrained individuals have increasingly been used for operations on the ground.
A similar model has been identified in Britain, where ordinary criminals were allegedly involved in a series of arson attacks targeting properties linked to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Another unexplained sabotage incident was reported in Germany on the same day. Explosives were discovered near the Jänschwalde power station in Brandenburg, the country’s largest lignite-fired power plant. Authorities have not attributed that incident to Russia, however, and environmental or anarchist groups have carried out similar attacks in the past.
Germany seeks a united response
Berlin coordinated its accusations against Moscow with its NATO allies, making the announcement as EU foreign ministers were meeting in Ireland.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte described the evidence as “unequivocal” and warned that Russia’s attempts to intimidate the alliance would fail.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she had spoken with Merz about the incident.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also expressed support for Berlin, saying: “Italy stands in full solidarity with Germany following the Russian hybrid attack in Leipzig. The security of our Allies is the security of us all.”
Germany knows it cannot confront the issue alone. Berlin said it would seek EU support for new sanctions against Russia.
The accusations mark a significant shift in Germany’s approach to Moscow. For four years, Berlin has supplied weapons to Ukraine and strengthened its eastern border while repeatedly signaling to Russian President Vladimir Putin that it wanted to avoid a direct escalation.
That position is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.
Germany now openly acknowledges that hybrid warfare has reached its own territory. As tensions between Berlin and Moscow continue to rise, the geopolitical confrontation between the two sides is likely to intensify in the years ahead.
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