The German government formally pointed to Russia on Tuesday as responsible for a drone bomb attack at Leipzig airport. Few doubted the possible Russian authorship of the failed August 4 attack targeting Ukrainian cargo planes. Due to the seriousness of the accusation, the federal government had until now avoided mentioning Russia. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul appeared before the media in Berlin to make public the evidence pointing to the Kremlin’s hand.
“The components of the drones are the same as those used in hybrid actions against Ukrainian interests. It is the technical knowledge and professionalism of the perpetrators that we know,” said Dobrindt. “The German government concludes that Russia is responsible for the August 4 attack at Leipzig airport,” added the Interior Minister.
Dobrindt and Wadephul’s press conference coincided with the discovery of explosives and homemade rockets near an electrical substation in the state of Brandenburg. The substation is a key facility for the operation of Jänschwalde, one of Germany’s largest thermal power plants. Police had to carry out a detonation, according to public broadcaster ARD, without any damage to the facilities.
Police are also investigating the firing of homemade rockets at the scene. This was confirmed by the regional grid operator, the company 50Hertz. “The attempt to cause damage was carried out with homemade projectiles similar to commercial New Year’s Eve rockets. Additional unexploded projectiles were found at the site,” 50Hertz said in a statement. 50Hertz assures that there has been no interruption in the power grid, but LEAG, the company managing the Jänschwalde plant, has reported “the temporary shutdown of one of the plant’s units.”
Three drones
At least three drones were used in the August 4 attack. One was intercepted by an airfield operator just meters from one of the Ukrainian state planes. Police confirmed days later that the drone had hit the aircraft but a technical error in the detonator prevented the explosion. Another drone was identified that night flying over the airport. The device hit a plane that was landing, causing no major damage. A third drone loaded with explosives was found on August 14 within the airport perimeter.
Ukraine bases its commercial air fleet at several European airports because its national airspace is closed due to the war. The Antonov public company planes targeted in Leipzig also transport weapons supplied to Ukraine by NATO.
The incident sparked a crisis for the government because the drones were able to access the airport without being identified and shot down, despite security cameras confirming the devices had been on the premises for hours. Dobrindt launched a new anti-drone security plan and announced a reform of German intelligence services to give them more operational power.
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The threat of a hybrid war with Russia is a priority for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz because disruptions at German airports due to drone sightings are constant. Even at the government’s political course opening conclave, held August 25-26 at Neuhardenberg Castle, ministers met with companies manufacturing anti-air defense drones.
“The perpetrators [of these hybrid attacks] increasingly show they can be cruel and unscrupulous in causing serious material damage, and even injuries or deaths,” Merz said in Neuhardenberg about the thwarted Leipzig attack. The chancellor already indicated that reprisals would be taken and those responsible pursued.
“Russia has Germany as a target, as well as the whole of Europe,” said Wadephul, the Foreign Minister. Dobrindt added that his country “is not at war, but is a daily target of hybrid attacks, like the rest of the European allies, including disinformation, sabotage, attacks on critical infrastructure, and Ukrainian interests.”
The failed attack in Leipzig is the most serious hybrid war case Germany has faced, although it is not the only one on European Union or NATO territory. Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski stated on Tuesday that the fire at a drone manufacturing plant on Monday was caused by “foreign agents.” Security cameras at the plant, part of the WB Electronics group, captured images of a hooded individual starting the fire.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (VfB), the German secret service, also revealed this August that in 2025 they discovered a cache of firearms hidden in a Berlin forest. The VfB points to Russian intelligence, based on testimony from a detainee in Romania, as responsible for transporting and storing the weapons in the hideout.
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