Merz set to blame Russia for sabotage attempt at Leipzig airport
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to officially accuse Russia within days over an August drone sabotage attempt at Leipzig airport and announce new sanctions. Investigators believe the drone was meant to disrupt cargo flights to Ukraine.
German media reports indicate that Chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to publicly accuse Russia in the coming days of attempting sabotage at Leipzig airport. The newspaper "Welt am Sonntag" and the outlet "Politico" reported this citing sources.
On August 7, a drone loaded with explosives was found at the airport near a Ukrainian cargo plane. The device did not detonate because its detonation mechanism had been disconnected.
New sanctions expected
According to the reports, Merz plans to combine direct German measures with new European Union sanctions being prepared in parallel in Brussels. One source said that in response to the sabotage attempt, expelling individual Russian diplomats or closing the so-called "Russian House" in Berlin is no longer sufficient — tougher steps are needed, such as strengthened sanctions or larger weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
Sources described Germany's expected move as "Zeitenwende 2.0," referencing the term used by former Chancellor Olaf Scholz after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, when he announced a dramatic overhaul of Berlin's relations with Moscow.
On August 25, Merz had already stated that those responsible for the sabotage attempt would be held accountable, though he did not make specific accusations at the time, promising to announce investigation results soon. He said the government, together with intelligence services, was working intensively to identify those responsible.
Trail leads to Russia's GRU
ABC News, citing a source in US intelligence, previously reported that the drone found resembled devices typically used by Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU. The assessment was conducted by US intelligence together with German security and intelligence services.
Leipzig airport plays an important role in transporting military cargo, including for Germany's armed forces and NATO allies, and also serves as a base for Ukrainian airline Antonov Airlines. It is also a major hub for logistics company DHL. Investigators believe the drone was intended to disrupt aircraft movement at the airfield, thereby delaying deliveries to Ukraine and sending Germany a warning over its continued support for Kyiv.
