Germany has officially accused Russia of being behind an attempted drone attack on Leipzig-Halle airport on August 4, marking one of the strongest accusations by a European nation since Moscow's invasion began. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced that the drone was found near a Ukrainian cargo plane on the evening of August 4 and defused, stating it fit a known pattern of 'Russian hybrid operations' in Europe. Dobrindt told reporters that investigators had proof that agents controlling the drone were working on 'behalf of Russian state entities', with police investigations, patterns of the offences and intelligence findings establishing Russian responsibility for the attempted attack. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul confirmed that the federal government therefore concludes that Russia is responsible for the hybrid attack. The findings were announced as several European countries, which have supported Ukraine against Russia's four-and-a-half-year invasion, have reported a rise in sabotage attacks and attempts they blame on Moscow.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has vowed to increase pressure on Russia following the drone attack at Leipzig-Halle airport, stating that 'Europe and NATO will not just maintain our pressure on Russia; we will increase it, and we will not stop - not until Russia stops bombing and killing innocent children, men and women in Ukraine'. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that the bloc was working on sanctions related to Russia's military complex, while France's foreign minister called for action against Russia's so-called 'shadow fleet' of ships accused of circumventing energy sanctions. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the German measures, saying 'the evidence is clear' on responsibility and 'Russia's attempts to intimidate us, to undermine our unity and our willingness to support Ukraine are futile and will fail'. EU foreign ministers were set to meet in the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday evening to prepare additional sanctions, with von der Leyen writing on social media that 'We are united in our resolve to stand against Russian aggression'. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that 'if the gravity of the events is confirmed', there would 'inevitably be consequences, particularly regarding the sanctions that might be imposed on Russia', while the United Kingdom also said it stood in 'full solidarity' with Germany.
Russia has rejected the German accusations, with President Vladimir Putin suggesting Berlin had 'fabricated' the evidence and calling the German response a 'serious mistake' during a news conference at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Moscow would respond to Berlin's 'anti-Russian action', according to the Interfax news agency. Putin dismissed the German accusations and suggested the evidence had been manufactured to shore up domestic support, stating **'German Chancellor Friedrich Merz
Leipzig-Halle airport serves as a major hub for international freight and for support to Ukraine, regularly used by Ukrainian Antonov transport aircraft and hosting NATO's Strategic Airlift International Solution (SALIS), which operates almost daily, delivering equipment to NATO battle groups along the alliance's eastern flank from Finland to Romania. The airport is also an important civilian freight and NATO logistics hub in eastern Germany that serves as a base for several giant Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo planes. In July, the EU imposed sanctions on Russian military officers, hackers and private companies, denouncing what it called a years-long cyber-espionage campaign, while Poland announced that it has opened a 'terror' probe into a recent fire at a factory supplying parts for drones supplied to Ukraine.
Germany was grappling with two new suspected sabotage cases within 24 hours as the EU prepared its response. In the first incident, authorities were investigating vandalism at a substation in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) that prompted lignite power plant units with 4,200 megawatts (MW) in combined capacity to go off the grid. Additionally, devices carrying conductive material damaged power lines at one of the most critical high-voltage nodes in the eastern state of Brandenburg on Tuesday. No suspects were immediately named, though NRW's interior minister said the work of foreign powers or left-wing extremists could not be ruled out. Brandenburg's interior minister, Jan Redmann, said there appeared to be parallels between the attacks but said investigations were still at a very early stage. Lawmaker Alexander Throm, an interior policy expert from Germany's ruling conservatives, said it was 'extremely striking that a surge in these attacks and incidents is once again occurring immediately prior to elections', noting that 'The clear goal is to unsettle the public. Of course, that is a goal shared not only by Russia but also by others, such as left-wing extremists' while Rutte emphasized that 'If Russia thinks we will be divided by the threat, or if they think we will be deterred from supporting Ukraine, they are mistaken'.
