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Leipzig drone attack blamed
Germany’s government accused Russia of being behind an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany last month, with Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt saying the incident “fits into a broader pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe.”
“fits into a broader pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe”
Dobrindt said the drone was found at the airport on the evening of August 4 near a Ukrainian cargo plane and was defused, and he argued that investigators had proof that agents controlling the drone were working “on behalf of Russian state entities”.
The German government’s move came as Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stood alongside Dobrindt and said Germany would implement measures in response, including summoning the Russian ambassador and shuttering the Russian consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin.
The BBC reported that the drone carrying an explosive device was discovered on 4 August close to Ukrainian cargo planes, failed to explode because the detonator was apparently faulty, and that investigators suspected a second drone collided with a cargo aircraft nearby.
The BBC also said a third drone was reportedly found near the airport 10 days later, while Germany’s accusation framed the Leipzig incident as part of a “well-established pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe.”
Retaliation and allied backing
Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow would respond to what she called Berlin’s “anti-Russian action,” while the AP reported that she rejected the accusations as a “far-fetched and contrived pretext” for Berlin to escalate tensions.
In Germany’s briefing, Dobrindt told reporters that the drone’s configuration, components, explosives and detonator were “known to us from other Russian hybrid operations and its war against Ukraine,” and he said the evidence “prove[s] a Russian responsibility for the attempted attack at Leipzig airport.”
The AP said Wadephul announced the Russian consulate in Bonn would be closed effective Sept. 18 and that the Russian House cultural center in Berlin would also be closed, while Germany would propose additional people from Russia for EU sanctions lists “in the context of hybrid attacks.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the measures, and the BBC quoted him saying the organisation “stands in full solidarity with Germany,” adding that “The evidence is clear.”
The BBC also reported that Wadephul said he would order the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn and terminate the contract for the Russian House in Berlin, and it said Zakharova told the German Press Agency that “Berlin is sponsoring terrorism.”
What Germany will do next
Germany said it would tighten entry controls for Russian nationals and increase “pressure on the shadow fleet,” a reference in the AP to tankers suspected of shipping Russian oil in violation of international sanctions.
“pressure on the shadow fleet”
The AP reported that the EU has sanctioned hundreds of “shadow fleet” ships, and it said EU foreign ministers were due to meet in the Republic of Ireland starting on Tuesday evening.
The Guardian reported that Berlin planned a clampdown on Russia’s shadow fleet and said new lists of people on a blacklist would be drawn up alongside tighter border controls of Russians entering Germany.
The Guardian also said Berlin was backing the European Commission’s 22nd package of sanctions to cover “a further 1,600 companies and organisations with a Russian connection,” while the BBC said the EU was preparing additional sanctions against Russia.
In response to Germany’s measures, the AP said Zakharova told Russian state news agency Tass there would be a “fitting response,” and it reported that she rejected the claims of Russian involvement in the attempted drone attack, calling them “a ‘far-fetched and contrived pretext’” for Berlin to escalate tensions.