German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the incident fitted a wider pattern of Russian “hybrid operations” targeting Western countries.
Police stand next to a device for drone detection last month (Image: Getty Images)
Fears of a wider war between Russia and NATO are surging after Germany accused Moscow of a brazen attempted bombing attack at a major airport used by the military alliance. The German government said on Tuesday that Russia was responsible for a drone packed with explosives which was discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month.
The device was found near a Ukrainian aircraft on the evening of August 4 and was subsequently defused by bomb disposal experts. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the incident fitted a wider pattern of Russian “hybrid operations” targeting Western countries.
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He said the German government had “come to the conclusion that Russia is responsible for the hybrid attack in Leipzig on Aug. 4”.
German defence entrepreneur Stefan Thumann, speaking to Politico, said the incident demonstrated that Germany was now “at war” with Russia.
The explosive drone was discovered in a restricted area of the airport close to Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft.
German investigators have previously said the operation may have involved several drones and that the apparent target was an aircraft used to transport military equipment to Ukraine.
The airport is a crucial logistics hub, handling international freight as well as supporting Ukraine and NATO operations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (Image: Getty)
It is home to NATO’s Strategic Airlift International Solution (SALIS), which provides heavy air transport for alliance missions and regularly delivers equipment to NATO battle groups along the alliance’s eastern flank, from Finland to Romania.
That has raised fears that the attempted attack represents a dangerous escalation in Russia’s campaign of sabotage across Europe.
The incident initially sparked a major security operation, with parts of the airport temporarily closed and flights diverted.
A second aircraft was also reported to have collided with an unidentified object after being forced to abort its landing during the disruption. It landed safely elsewhere.
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German authorities have not publicly established the full intended consequences of the attack, but investigators have examined whether the explosive drone was designed to hit a Ukrainian cargo aircraft.
Reports have indicated that the suspected explosive included military-grade material, while the device’s detonator was successfully removed before it could cause an explosion.
The German government has now announced a diplomatic retaliation against Moscow.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Russia’s consulate in Bonn would close on September 18.
Berlin will also rescind the agreement allowing the Russian House cultural centre in the German capital to operate, in a move likely to further inflame relations between the two countries.
The latest accusation comes after a series of suspected acts of Russian sabotage across Europe since Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In 2024, an incendiary device hidden in a freight shipment at Leipzig’s DHL logistics centre caught fire before it could be loaded on to a plane.
Western security officials suspected the incident was part of a wider Russian intelligence operation targeting air freight across Europe.
Germany’s latest accusation therefore marks a significant escalation in its response to what officials describe as Moscow’s covert war against the West.
Russia has repeatedly denied involvement in alleged sabotage operations in Europe.
But Berlin’s decision to publicly blame the Kremlin for an attempted attack on a site directly supporting Ukraine and NATO is likely to fuel fears of further confrontation between Russia and the military alliance.
With the drone allegedly targeting an aircraft linked to Ukraine and being discovered at a NATO logistics hub, the incident has raised the stakes in an already tense confrontation between Moscow and the West.