Germany has accused Russia of orchestrating a failed drone sabotage plot at Leipzig/Halle Airport, announcing Tuesday that it will shut down Russian diplomatic facilities in response. The move marks a sharp escalation in already strained relations after investigators said Moscow was connected to last month’s attack.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Berlin will close Russia’s consulate in Bonn and end the contract for the Russian House cultural center in Berlin. The decision follows German authorities’ conclusion that Moscow was responsible for the Aug. 4 incident.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said forensic evidence and intelligence assessments pointed to Russian involvement. Authorities discovered a drone fitted with an explosive device next to a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport, one of Germany’s key freight hubs.
Officials said the explosive device did not go off because its detonator was defective.
German officials also said they believe a second drone struck a nearby cargo aircraft. Dobrindt linked the episode to what he called Russia’s “well-established pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe,” underscoring growing concerns over sabotage and security threats across the continent.
German police investigate after an explosive-laden drone was found beside a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport on Aug. 4. German officials say the device failed to detonate. (Hendrik Schmidt/DPA via AP)
Russia has denied the allegations.
The Russian Embassy in Berlin called the accusation “absurd,” while Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow would respond in a “mirror-image” fashion to Germany’s actions. The embassy later described Berlin’s measures as an “unprecedented escalation in Russian-German relations.”
In addition to closing Russian diplomatic facilities, Wadephul announced tighter entry restrictions for Russian nationals and additional measures targeting Russia’s shadow fleet. He also said he had summoned Russia’s ambassador to Germany, Sergei Nechayev.
The announcement marks Germany’s first public attribution of responsibility for the airport attack. Until now, Berlin had said only that “foreign powers” may have been involved, though U.S. media previously reported American officials believed Russia was responsible.
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German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, left, and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announce Germany’s response on Tuesday, after investigators blamed Russia for a failed drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Berlin. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Leipzig/Halle Airport is one of Europe’s largest cargo hubs and serves as a logistics center for Germany’s military and NATO allies. It is also home to Ukrainian Antonov transport aircraft, making it a strategically important hub supporting Ukraine’s cargo operations.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte backed Germany’s findings, writing on X that the alliance “stands in full solidarity with Germany.”
“The evidence is clear. And I welcome the measures announced by Germany in response,” Rutte wrote.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union was preparing additional sanctions against Russia, while Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused Moscow of escalating tensions across the region.
Russia’s ambassador to Germany, Sergei Nechayev, attends an event in Berlin in May. Germany summoned Nechayev after accusing Moscow of carrying out the failed drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport. (Christoph Soeder/Picture Alliance via Getty Images, File)
The developments come as Germany has warned it faces an increasing campaign of hybrid threats targeting military, transportation and critical infrastructure. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said last week those responsible for hostile acts against Germany would “pay a price.”
German police separately said Tuesday they were investigating improvised explosive and incendiary devices discovered at a power substation in the eastern state of Brandenburg after a damaged power line caused a temporary outage. Authorities have not identified who planted the devices.