Germany is expected to formally accuse a Russian intelligence service of being behind an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, marking what would be Berlin’s first direct attribution of such an attack to Russia on German territory.
According to information reported by Der Spiegel, German investigators have gathered sufficient evidence linking the incident to a Russian intelligence service.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul are expected to publicly present the government’s findings.
“Information concerning one or more people suspected of involvement in the act has become sufficiently consolidated that the German government intends to make it public today and officially attribute the attack to a Russian intelligence service,” Der Spiegel reported.
The report said it remains unclear which Russian intelligence service Germany intends to identify and what specific consequences Berlin will announce following the attribution.
The German government has reportedly been discussing a package of punitive measures against Russian state bodies suspected of involvement in the attempted attack.
According to the information available, Germany is considering expelling additional Russian diplomats. Officials have also discussed the possible closure of the Russian Consulate General in Bonn, the last Russian consulate of its kind still operating in Germany.
The possible closure of the Russian House in Berlin is also reportedly under consideration. Although officially operating as a cultural institution, the center has faced allegations that it could also be used by Russian intelligence services.
For the time being, however, the German government does not intend to involve NATO in the matter through consultations under Article 4 of the Alliance’s founding treaty, Der Spiegel reported.
The incident took place during the night between August 4 and 5, when a drone equipped with explosives was discovered in a security area at Leipzig/Halle Airport among Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft.
Investigators suspect that the drone may have collided with one of the aircraft. A section of the quadcopter was later reportedly found on the wing of an Antonov aircraft near its fuel tanks.
The drone itself was subsequently found crashed on the ground.
If Germany formally attributes the attempted attack to a Russian intelligence service, the move would represent a significant escalation in Berlin’s public accusations against Moscow and could further intensify diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
