Germany has blamed Russia for a drone attack on Leipzig airport last month and announced a series of new measures against Russia.
“We are not at war, but we are becoming the target of hybrid attacks every day,” German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrind told reporters on Tuesday, raising the country’s threat level assessment from “general” to “high.”
German Foreign Minister Johann Vardepur also ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn and the cultural center Russia House in Berlin. Germany is also tightening immigration controls for Russians.
EU executive branch president Ursula von der Leyen said European foreign ministers would announce a “clear response” to Russia later this week, including “further sanctions.”
The United States had previously assessed that an explosives-laden drone found at an airport in eastern Germany belonged to Russian intelligence, a U.S. defense official in Europe told CNN.
The incident caused great confusion and raised security concerns across Europe. German authorities said at the time that the drone was discovered on August 5 in a secure area near Leipzig-Halle Airport’s southern runway, which is used by cargo flights.
A bomb disposal robot was deployed and the detonator attached to the drone was removed. Images from the scene showed the robot approaching the Ukrainian cargo plane. A US defense official told CNN that the drone was carrying military-grade explosives.
On the same day, a second flying object struck a cargo plane near the airport, causing minor damage. The aircraft then landed safely in Hannover.
The Russian government accused Germany of inventing “pretexts” and threatened to take any measures.
“The Russia House has been bothering them for a long time,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told CNN. “That’s why they were looking for something to grab onto. The Russian government will respond to any anti-Russian decision.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte welcomed the measures announced by Germany, saying the alliance’s commitment to Ukraine was “unwavering” and reiterating that “NATO will continue to strengthen its ability to deter and defend all allies against all threats, including malign actions like those seen in Leipzig.”
German media recently reported that a third drone was spotted in a field near the airport about a week after the incident, leading to speculation that multiple drones were intended to be used in the attack. The German Federal Prosecutor’s Office, which is in charge of the case, declined to comment when asked by CNN, citing the ongoing investigation.
Leipzig/Halle, one of Europe’s busiest cargo airports, has been home to Ukrainian cargo airline Antonov Airlines since Russia destroyed its headquarters in the northwestern Kyiv town of Hostmel early in its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The explosive-laden drone was found near a Ukrainian aircraft at the airport.
Dobrindt said at the time that the incident represented a serious escalation. “Drone sightings and the threat of drones, including hybrid situations, is something we’ve known about for a long time. Having explosive-laden drones at airports is a new threat scenario,” he said.
Western intelligence agencies have repeatedly blamed Russia for a series of seemingly unrelated security incidents across Europe. These include arson, high-profile hacking, GPS jamming, and sabotage of key infrastructure such as undersea communications cables, logistics centers, and railways.
The US warned that Russia could escalate further. Recent U.S. intelligence assessments suggest that Russian President Vladimir Putin may seek to test NATO’s resolve by launching limited strikes against allies in the coming years, according to three sources familiar with the reports.
CNN has contacted the Kremlin for comment on the U.S. intelligence community’s assessment of President Putin.
