According to credible sources, German security authorities have identified two of the four perpetrators who carried out three drone attacks at Leipzig-Halle Airport. DNA evidence led to this breakthrough in the investigation. On 04AUG26, the four suspects operated three drones in the vicinity of the airport, two of which were loaded with highly explosive materials. The devices did not explode thanks to the courageous intervention of an airport employee and technical malfunctions.
Right after the attempted attack, security experts expressed their belief that Russian sources initiated the hybrid attack. Their reasoning: one of the drones carried a device filled with 600 grams of highly explosive material. It was spotted and neutralized by an airport employee near two AN-124 transport aircraft belonging to Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines, parked on the apron. Further evidence pointing to the drones’ Russian origin was the plastic explosive material “Semtex” – known, to be commonly used be the Russian intelligence service, analyzed by German and foreign experts in specialized laboratories, known to be commonly used by the Russian intelligence service.
Crushing evidence
EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner Kaja Kallas has now also publicly emphasized these facts on the sidelines of an EU defense ministers’ meeting in Wicklow, Ireland. There is crushing evidence that Moscow is involved in the explosive-laden drone incident, she said. The EU will determine the final steps to take against Moscow in consultation with the German government.
Meanwhile, German security services have identified two of at least four suspects involved in the Leipzig attack. According to consistent reports from various media outlets, they are a Russian-born individual with a Latvian passport and a Russian passport holder from Belarus. Investigators confirmed they had identified the Belarusian suspect’s DNA on pieces of evidence which enabled them to trace and reconstruct his travel itinerary. According to the findings, he entered the Schengen Area on an Italian visa. The second suspect is said to have played a key role in planning the attack. The mastermind of the assault reportedly landed at BER at the end of July, went on to the state of Saxony, and left Germany just two days before the failed attack.
As the tabloid Bild reports, investigators are searching for other individuals, traces of whose DNA authorities were able to detect, or whose cell phone signals were picked up by nearby cell towers.
Will the counter measures impress Putin?
As a result of the drone attack and ongoing hybrid threats, the German government has ordered the closure of the Russian Consulate General in Bonn as of 18SEP26, as well as the Russian House in Berlin. Originally founded to promote cultural exchange, it has, according to intelligence reports, long since been transformed into a spy hub. In addition, the Berlin government has announced that it will add further individuals from Putin’s inner circle or allied organizations to EU sanctions lists and tighten entry controls for Russian nationals. Furthermore, Berlin, together with Brussels, wants to significantly step up pressure on the Russian shadow fleet. Moscow uses a substantial portion of the proceeds from oil sales to finance its war of aggression against Ukraine.
Ultimately, the German government, in consultation with the EU, has decided to significantly increase its military support for Ukraine in its struggle against the Russian militia. Germany is already Ukraine’s strongest supporter, following the U.S.’s withdrawal since Trump took office.
According to Reuters, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the drone attack in Leipzig as “a new level of escalation on European soil.” She stated that it was an attack carried out by Russian agents using military equipment. Had the attack succeeded, it could have been fatal.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also sounded the alarm, stating that Russia is acting with increasing recklessness. He announced that the EU and NATO would therefore continue to increase pressure on Moscow.
Escalating hybrid attacks
The recent drone assaults are part of a series of other attacks or attempted attacks on German institutions and individuals. For example, several executives of major defense contractors were spied on for weeks by informants to create a profile of their movements. They are now under constant police protection. Three attempted attacks on cargo planes operated by the parcel delivery service DHL were orchestrated on behalf of the Russian intelligence service, FSJ. A criminal trial against five suspects involved in the attempts is currently underway in Vilnius, Lithuania. They are accused of planning acts of terrorism and sabotage on behalf of Russian intelligence agencies. According to investigators, the defendants are alleged to have sent disguised incendiary devices via the parcel services DHL and DPD in JUL24 (CFG reported).
The Kremlin responds with threats
Moscow reacted immediately to the sanctions imposed by the German government in response to the Leipzig drones and the ongoing hybrid warfare. The Kremlin ordered the closure of the German Goethe Institutes in Russia and announced that it would be taking further measures. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accused Germany of having itself orchestrated the drone attack on Leipzig Airport as an example of its extremely russophobic policy. He denounced the current German government as “neo-Nazis” exclusively serving the interests of Ukraine. He also threatened Berlin with “punishment”. “You deserve a direct strike against all German military technology production facilities,” wrote the Kremlin politician – known for his inflammatory rhetoric – on Telegram.
The drone attack on Leipzig Airport is unlikely to have been the last of its kind on NATO territory.
