Germany has accused Russia of carrying out what the country's top police official called a “hybrid attack” involving an explosive-laden drone that disrupted flights at Leipzig airport in early August, saying it was part of a long-term campaign of destabilization operations against Europe.
German authorities said they would close the Russian Consulate in Bonn and terminate the lease on a Russian cultural center in Berlin as a result of the attempted drone attack at the Leipzig/Halle Airport.
The September 1 statement by German government officials came as authorities responded to what they called a sabotage attack involving a double-digit number of homemade incendiary devices found at a substation near a coal-fired power plant about 100 kilometers southeast of Berlin.
No country or group has yet been blamed for that incident, in which officials said at least one of the makeshift devices detonated. Brandenburg state Interior Minister Jan Redmann did not rule out the possibility that a foreign power or left-wing activists were behind the attack.
In the Leipzig incident, a drone carrying explosives was found near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft at the airport in eastern Germany on August 4.
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Germany Probes 'Hybrid Attack' After Explosive Drone Found Near Ukrainian Aircraft"Taken together, police investigations, patterns of the offences, and intelligence findings establish Russian responsibility for the attempted attack at Leipzig airport," German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said.
"We do not view the Leipzig incident in isolation, but rather see it in the context of other hybrid actions," he said. "We assume that Germany is the target of further hybrid attacks by Russia."
"It fits into a broader pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe," Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said, standing next to Dobrindt. He said that the Russian Consulate in Bonn would be closed later this month and that the lease for the “Russia House” cultural center in Berlin would be canceled.
"We are tightening entry controls for Russian nationals," Wadephul said, adding that Germany would propose adding more Russian individuals to lists of those hit with EU sanctions.
Russia’s ambassador to Germany, Sergei Nechayev, was seen entering the Foreign Ministry in Berlin around the time of the announcements. The Russian Embassy later said he dismissed the accusation of Russian involvement in the Leipzig incident as "unsubstantiated, absurd, and contrary to common sense."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested that German officials had not provided evidence and said, "It is obvious that Germany is proceeding down a path of further escalation."
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asserted that Germany had "invented a pretext" for shutting the Russia House and said "Moscow will give a response to all anti-Russian decisions."
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Ratcliffe's Moscow Warning: What We Know A Week Later, According To Ex-CIA OfficersThe accusation came amid persistent concern over Russian hybrid operations and the possibility that President Vladimir Putin could seek to test NATO resolve with more traditional attacks, potentially against Baltic alliance members.
At least one purpose of CIA chief John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow for meetings with intelligence officials on August 25 was to warn Russia against attacking NATO countries, sources familiar with the visit told RFE/RL and other media on condition of anonymity.
NATO and the European Union quickly voiced support for Germany and said Russia’s actions would not cow them into decreasing support for Ukraine, which is defending itself against a full-scale Russian invasion now in its fifth year.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte pledged “full solidarity” and said the alliance would “continue to strengthen our ability to deter and defend all Allies against any threat -- including malign actions like those seen in Leipzig and elsewhere.”
“Russia’s attempts to intimidate us, to undermine our unity and our willingness to support Ukraine are futile and will fail,” Rutte said on X. “Our support to Ukraine is unwavering, as is our ironclad commitment to NATO’s collective defense.”
Also on X, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU stands in “full solidarity” with Germany, and asserted that “hybrid attacks will not go without a clear response.”
“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,” von der Leyen said. She said “additional sanctions” against Moscow would be prepared by EU foreign ministers at a meeting in Ireland on September 1-2.
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EU Foreign Ministers Meet In Ireland To Address Ukraine's Funding Shortfall For 2027The EU has already prepared new sanctions on up to 1,600 Russian individuals and entities -- largely in the Russian defense sector -- with the suggestion that EU member states unanimously approve these blacklistings in October.
On September 2, EU ambassadors are also due to sanction 10 Russian people and 17 entities involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children and decide to extend the asset freezes and visa bans the bloc has imposed on over 3,000 individuals or entities since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The attempted drone attack increased concerns after months of suspicious drone sightings over military and industrial sites in Germany.
Police used a robot to defuse the device near a Ukrainian cargo plane. The German military and NATO allies transport military goods via the airport, which also serves as a base for Ukraine's Antonov Airlines.