A drone equipped with an explosive device was placed beside a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport on Aug. 4. It did not detonate. German authorities concluded Tuesday the device failed because of a faulty detonator, and in the same announcement formally attributed the attack to Russia, with Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt citing forensic evidence and intelligence findings as the basis for that conclusion.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announced the closure of Russia's consulate in Bonn and the termination of the contract for the Russian House cultural center in Berlin. Wadephul also summoned Russian Ambassador Sergei Nechayev and announced tighter entry restrictions for Russian nationals, along with additional measures targeting Russia's shadow fleet.
Leipzig/Halle Airport is one of Europe's largest cargo hubs, serving as a logistics center for Germany's military and NATO allies. It is home to Ukrainian Antonov transport aircraft, making it a strategically important hub for Ukraine's cargo operations. German authorities also concluded a second drone had collided with a nearby cargo aircraft during the same incident. Dobrindt described the operation as consistent with Russia's "well-established pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe."
Until Tuesday, Berlin had referred publicly only to unspecified "foreign powers" as possible actors, though U.S. media had previously reported that American officials believed Russia was responsible.
Moscow's response and allied backing
Russia denied the allegations. The Russian Embassy in Berlin called the accusation "absurd." Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow would respond in a "mirror-image" fashion to Germany's actions, and the embassy later described Berlin's measures as an "unprecedented escalation in Russian-German relations."
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte wrote on X that the alliance "stands in full solidarity with Germany" and that "the evidence is clear." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU was preparing additional sanctions against Russia. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused Moscow of escalating tensions across the region.
Germany has warned it faces an increasing campaign of hybrid threats targeting military, transportation, and critical infrastructure. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said last week that those responsible for hostile acts against Germany would "pay a price." Separately, German police said Tuesday they were investigating improvised explosive and incendiary devices found 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 those devices.