Germany blames Russia for attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle airport, closing consulate and cultural center
By Maria Martinez
BERLIN, Sept 1 (Reuters) — Germany said on Tuesday it had concluded that Russia was responsible for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle airport last month, and it ordered a series of countermeasures that will include closing a Russian consulate and terminating a cultural program in Berlin.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the evidence was conclusive. “Taken together, police investigations, patterns of the offenses and intelligence findings establish Russian responsibility for the attempted attack at Leipzig Airport,” he said.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, standing alongside Dobrindt, said the airport incident was not isolated. “It fits into a broader pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe,” he said. “Germany remains secure, and Germany will defend itself against adversaries who seek to create insecurity. We will not allow Russia’s attacks to divide or intimidate us in our social cohesion.”
Berlin will close Russia’s consulate general in Bonn and terminate the agreement with the Russian House cultural center in Berlin, Wadephul said. Germany is also expected to push for additional EU sanctions listings and travel restrictions on Russian nationals, while increasing pressure on Russia’s “shadow fleet.”
Dobrindt said Germany and Europe faced a serious threat from such hybrid actions. “These actions target critical infrastructure, defense companies and support for Ukraine,” he said.
Russia rejected the accusation. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow would respond to what she called Berlin’s “anti-Russian action,” according to the Interfax news agency, without elaborating. The Russian Embassy in Berlin has previously dismissed such allegations as “fabricated provocation” and a “new wave of anti-Russian hysteria in Germany.”
The announcement came as European governments have been increasingly focused on suspected Russian sabotage, cyberattacks and covert operations across the continent. Leipzig/Halle is one of Europe’s major airfreight hubs, making any attempt against it significant for critical infrastructure and supply chains.
European allies voiced support for Germany. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she would discuss the attack on Wednesday with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and EU foreign ministers would prepare a joint response. “Looking forward to discussing collective countermeasures at the Gymnich meeting in Ireland tonight and tomorrow,” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski wrote on X. “Full solidarity with Germany.”
In Britain, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in a statement that London stood with Germany and that any Russian attempts to undermine support for Ukraine were “doomed to fail.”
Wadephul said Germany would continue its civilian and military support for Ukraine and would remain steadfast in its solidarity with Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s war of aggression.