Attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport blamed on Russia, German government says

Germany has blamed Russia for an attempted attack with an explosive-laden drone at Leipzig airport last month.

Local authorities found the drone near a Ukrainian plane at the airport on 4 August, and defused it after closing both runways.

Alexander Dobrindt, German interior minister, said at the time that the attempted attack fit a known pattern of "Russian hybrid operations".

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He said on Tuesday that the German government now "comes to the conclusion that Russia is responsible for the hybrid attack in Leipzig".

He also added that "we assume that Germany is ⁠the target ​of further hybrid attacks ​by Russia".

Mr Dobrindt then said that the device pointed to "a high degree of technical expertise", but that the execution of the plan appears to have been left to "low-level" agents he said "acted on behalf of Russian state entities," though he didn't specify which ones".

Foreign minister Johann Wadephul also said the Russian consulate in Bonn will be closed on 18 September and said he had summoned the Russian ambassador.

]In response, ‌Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow will respond ‌to Germany's "anti-Russian actions".

She also told local newspaper Izvestia that evidence for Russia being behind the attempted attack "simply do not exist and cannot exist" and added: "The Russian House and our Consulate General in Bonn have long been a source of annoyance for the ruling elite."

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Tuesday that the military bloc "stands in full solidarity with Germany" after a call with Chancellor Friedrich Merz about the incident.

"The evidence is clear", he added on X, "and I welcome the measures announced by Germany in response.

"NATO will continue to strengthen our ability to deter and defend all Allies against any threat - including malign actions like those seen in Leipzig and elsewhere across the Alliance."

Prime Minister Andy Burnham also said that the UK supports Germany "following Russia's egregious and reckless attack", adding: "Russian attempts to undermine our united resolve and our willingness to support Ukraine are futile and doomed to fail.

"As I made clear in Kyiv last week, our commitment to supporting Ukraine from Russia's illegal invasion is ironclad."

Leipzig/Halle, a major hub for international freight, is regularly used by Ukrainian Antonov transport aircraft and other flights supporting Kyiv.

It is also home to NATO's Strategic Airlift International Solution (SALIS), where it delivers equipment to NATO battle groups in areas like Finland and Romania.

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The airport has appeared to have been a target before: In 2024, an incendiary device ignited at a logistics centre at the airport and set fire to a freight container before it could be loaded onto a cargo plane.

Western security officials suspected that incident was organised by Russian intelligence.

(c) Sky News 2026: Attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport blamed on Russia, German government says