Germany Blames Russia for Attempted Drone Attack, Expects More
Germany’s government said an investigation found that Russia is behind a failed drone attack at an airport in Leipzig last month and that the Kremlin is likely to step up hybrid aggression.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announced the shuttering of Russia’s consulate in Bonn, the former seat of government of West Germany, this month and the cancellation of a contract with a key Russian cultural center in Berlin. The country will tighten border controls for Russian nationals.
The activity on German soil indicates a readiness by Moscow to inflict “greater damage,” Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said.
Read more: Russia’s Escalating Hybrid Attacks Put Europeans in a Bind
“Russia shows no willingness to reach an understanding,” Wadephul told reporters in Berlin. “On the contrary: with the attempted attack in Leipzig, the Russian leadership has deliberately chosen to inflict further significant damage on our already severely strained bilateral relationship.”
The move by German authorities marks a significant deterioration in relations between Berlin and Moscow more than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Chancellor Friedrich Merz had said last week that the attempted drone attack on the logistics hub for deliveries to Ukraine represented a new level of hybrid warfare — and perpetrators “will pay a price.”
Germany will get “a fitting response” to its decisions on closing Russian facilities, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the state-run Tass news service.
“Under a completely far-fetched and contrived pretext, Berlin has once again escalated bilateral relations,” Zakharova said. “As usual, no convincing or serious evidence has been presented. There simply isn’t any.”
Authorities in Berlin had stopped short of pointing the finger at Russia as the investigation proceeded and as talks with European Union officials took place to forge a response. Wadephul said EU authorities are developing a new list of individuals to be targeted by sanctions.
Germany is determined to continue and expand its military support for Ukraine, especially in areas where it hurts Russia the most, including more interceptor missiles and strike drones for Ukraine, senior officials said in Berlin on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol.
The failed attack at Leipzig-Halle airport forced the hub to divert several aircraft after a drone laden with explosives was found near a Ukrainian cargo plane. Investigators identified three drones at the airport: the first hit the wing of the plane, while two others were found in nearby fields, the officials said.
The drone’s configuration, parts and the type of explosive — as well as the expertise behind the planning — indicated Russian involvement, Dobrindt said.
Read more: German DHL Cargo Plane Hits Object as Drone Found at Leipzig Airport
The drone incident, together with an ongoing investigation into the possible link between foreign security agents and a cache of weapons found on the outskirts of Berlin last year, have put Europe’s biggest economy on high alert.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed solidarity, saying the evidence that Germany presented was “clear.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued a similar statement, signaling bloc-wide coordination.
“Russia is seeking to sow distrust and fear among our societies,” von der Leyen said on X. “But it will fail. And we still stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
There have been an increasing number of alleged Kremlin provocations in Europe involving drones, explosions and damaged undersea cables.
On Tuesday, in a separate incident, the sabotage of electricity infrastructure in eastern Germany caused a brief disruption to the transmission network as well as a power-plant outage. Unknown perpetrators damaged several lines.
Photograph: Police investigators work on the tarmac at Leipzig-Halle Airport on Aug. 5, 2026; photo credit: Jens Schlueter/Getty Images
Related: