WSJ: Kremlin warned Germany after Leipzig airport sabotage that more attacks would follow
A Kremlin official reportedly warned a German government counterpart after the attempted sabotage at Leipzig Airport that it would not be the last attack. The Wall Street Journal says sabotage incidents across Europe have risen sharply since.
After German authorities uncovered an attempted act of sabotage at Leipzig Airport, a Kremlin official contacted a counterpart in the German government and warned that Leipzig would not be Moscow's last target. The U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported this, citing its sources. The paper did not name the Russian official.
What happened in Leipzig
In August 2026, a drone loaded with explosives was found at Leipzig Airport next to a Ukrainian An-124 transport aircraft. It later emerged that several drones, not just one, had been involved. On September 1, Germany formally accused Russia of attempting to sabotage the airport. Moscow denies the accusations.
Putin's reported order
European officials, citing U.S. intelligence, told the paper that frustration grew in Moscow over the summer because neither fighting at the front nor talks with Washington had convinced Ukraine to accept Vladimir Putin's demands.
People familiar with U.S. intelligence findings told the WSJ that the Russian president personally ordered a stepped-up campaign of sabotage and covert operations against NATO countries. After a trip to Moscow, CIA Director John Ratcliffe personally told counterparts in European intelligence services, and a number of politicians, that Moscow is intensifying sabotage operations against their countries.
Incidents on the rise
According to the WSJ, sabotage-related incidents in Europe have increased sharply since the attempted attack in Leipzig. In August, arson attacks targeted drone manufacturing facilities in Estonia and Poland. That same month, Slovak authorities said they had foiled a planned arson attack on a factory producing Ukrainian drones. In recent weeks, Poland, Lithuania and Bulgaria have each reported sabotage aimed at Starlink ground stations.
