Germany has said Russia was responsible for last month’s drone attack on Leipzig airport.
On August 4, a drone carrying an explosive device was discovered at Leipzig/Halle airport in eastern Germany, near Ukrainian cargo planes.
It did not explode because the detonator was apparently defective, and investigators suspect that a second drone collided with a nearby cargo plane. Ten days later, a third drone was found near the airport.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the Leipzig airport attack followed the “well-established pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe” and that Germany was supposed to be attacked again.
He said examination of the equipment used along with intelligence findings demonstrated Russian involvement in the attack.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who was standing next to Dobrindt at a news conference in Berlin, said he would order the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn and that the contract for the Russian House in Berlin, which many observers say was used for espionage and to spread Russian propaganda, would also be terminated.
He also announced stricter entry controls for Russian citizens and promised to increase pressure on Moscow’s shadow fleet – old oil tankers used by Russia to circumvent Western sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Wadephul said he had summoned Russia’s ambassador to Germany, Sergei Nechayev. He was seen arriving at the Foreign Office shortly after the announcement.
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, said Moscow would respond “in a mirror-like manner” to Germany’s measures.
“Berlin sponsors terrorism,” he told the German Press Agency, referring to the military and economic support it provides to Ukraine.
There have been previous suggestions that the Goethe-Institut in Moscow would have to cease operations if the Germans closed the Russian House.
Security experts had speculated that Russia could have been responsible, however Russia has always rejected accusations of involvement.
Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany is used by the German military and NATO allies to transport military goods and also serves as a base for Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines, which carries most of the country’s air cargo.
NATO chief Mark Rutte said the organization “stands in full solidarity with Germany.”
“The evidence is clear. And I welcome the measures announced by Germany in response,” he wrote on X.
The issue was due to be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Ireland later on Tuesday.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote in X: “We are united in our determination to oppose Russian aggression. We will deter anyone who seeks to undermine our freedom and security.”
He added that the EU was preparing additional sanctions against Russia.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Russian attempts to undermine our united resolve and willingness to support Ukraine are futile and doomed to fail.”
Germany is one of several NATO member states that have reported drone sightings at airports and military and industrial sites over the past year.
Berlin has so far remained silent about who may have been behind the Leipzig attack, except to say that “foreign powers” may have been involved.
US media had already reported that US officials had linked the incident to Russia.
Berlin has warned that the country is the “daily target” of hybrid warfare, and Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned last week that those who carried out hostile acts against Germany would “pay a price.”
The government is seeking to boost the powers of its intelligence services, which have long been criticized as relatively ineffective, to counter such threats.
Germany is a key backer for Ukraine and Merz is outspoken in his support for kyiv.
It’s not hard to imagine why Ukrainian cargo planes at a key German logistics hub could be in Moscow’s sights.
But this announcement comes at a delicate time for the Merz government.
A key state election in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt could propel the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to power at the state level for the first time.
The AfD, which is Germany’s largest opposition party, wants to stop sending support to Ukraine and reopen ties with Russia.
In another development, German police say they are investigating the discovery of improvised explosive and incendiary devices at an electrical substation in the eastern state of Brandenburg on Tuesday.
A power line was damaged, causing a temporary outage. It is not known who placed the devices.
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