German officials have accused Russian state structures of involvement in a series of drone attacks on a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle airport. In response to the hybrid aggression, Berlin summoned the Russian ambassador, closed the Russian consulate in Bonn, and took additional restrictive measures.
German officials have accused Russian state structures of involvement in a series of drone attacks on a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle airport. In response to the hybrid aggression, Berlin summoned the Russian ambassador, closed the Russian consulate in Bonn, and took additional restrictive measures.
This was reported by the Washington Post, citing a statement from German officials.
The incident occurred on August 4 at Leipzig/Halle Airport, which is used by civil carriers as well as NATO and European air forces. Surveillance cameras recorded a drone equipped with military explosives hitting the wing of a Ukrainian plane and falling to the ground without detonating. Later that day, a second UAV collided with a cargo plane directly during flight. Ten days later, a third drone was found in a field near the airport with traces of a similar explosive.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt noted that the investigation indicates the work of professionals under the direction of Russian special services, although the direct execution was entrusted to lower-level agents.
«The means used — the configuration of the drone, components, explosives, and detonation systems — are known to us from other Russian hybrid operations and its war against Ukraine. Thank God, everything did not go according to plan,» the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasized.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful called the incident part of a long chain of aggressive actions by Russia in Europe. As part of the response, the German authorities are deciding to close the Russian consulate in Bonn, terminate the contract for the cultural center «House of Russia» in Berlin (which has long been considered a cover for espionage), tighten control over the entry of Russian citizens and increase pressure on the so-called «shadow fleet». The latter is actively using ships under flags of convenience and GPS spoofing to evade sanctions during the transportation of oil.
Moscow has traditionally denied the accusations, calling them «baseless» and threatening retaliatory measures.
