Germany says Russia responsible for drone attack at Leipzig airport

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated, in remarks to Handelsblatt, that Russia bears responsibility for the August 4 incident at Leipzig/Halle airport, where an explosive-laden drone was discovered near a Ukrainian "Antonov" cargo aircraft used to transport military cargo.

According to the minister, the methods used in the Leipzig incident matched those seen in other Russian attacks. He said the operation was carried out by "lower-level agents," consistent with the pattern of Russian hybrid actions. Intelligence findings confirmed this and showed that those involved acted in Russia's interest.

"Therefore the federal government concludes that Russia is responsible for the hybrid attack that took place on August 4 in Leipzig. We are not in a state of war. But we are a daily target of hybrid warfare," Dobrindt emphasized.

Expectation of further attacks

The German government believes the country will continue to be a target of Russian hybrid attacks. Dobrindt said the Leipzig incident is not being treated as an isolated case, but is being assessed in connection with other hybrid actions.

Leipzig airport is an important logistics hub, used for example by the parcel delivery service DHL, and is also regularly used for military transport by the German Bundeswehr and NATO. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Tuesday that Germany would respond in a measured way to the discovery of the explosive drone near the Ukrainian cargo plane.