GERMANY SAYS RUSSIA PLANNED DRONE ATTACK
PHOTO CAPTION: An Antonov Airlines An-124 approaches Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany. German authorities say an explosive drone found near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft at the airport in August was part of an operation planned in Russia for months. (Photo: MarcelX42/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Wednesday that an attempted explosive-drone attack at one of Germany’s major cargo airports had been planned in Russia for months and came close to causing serious damage and casualties.
Merz made the new disclosure Sept. 9 while addressing Germany’s parliament. He said the operation was specifically directed at Germany and that “only by pure chance” were major damage and injuries avoided.
The attempted attack itself occurred overnight Aug. 4 at Leipzig/Halle Airport. German authorities found a drone carrying explosives near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft and deployed explosives specialists to deal with the device.
Leipzig/Halle is a major international freight hub and has been used as part of the logistics network supporting Ukraine. The presence of the explosive drone near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft immediately raised concerns that the incident was more than an ordinary airport drone intrusion.
German authorities initially investigated the incident without publicly assigning responsibility. On Sept. 1, the German government formally accused Russia of being responsible, saying police investigations, the method of attack and intelligence information collectively pointed to Moscow.
Germany characterized the incident as a hybrid attack and announced measures in response. European officials subsequently discussed additional sanctions and other steps as concerns grew over alleged Russian sabotage operations across Europe.
Russia has denied involvement in the Leipzig/Halle incident. Moscow has rejected Germany’s accusations and accused Berlin of fabricating the case.
What changed Wednesday was Merz’s description of how extensively the operation had allegedly been prepared.
According to the chancellor, the attempted attack was planned in Russia over a period of months and deliberately targeted Germany. His comments also suggested the outcome could have been dramatically worse had the device functioned differently or been positioned more effectively.
The incident is part of growing concern among European governments about sabotage, cyberattacks, drone activity and other so-called hybrid operations tied to the war in Ukraine.
For Germany, however, the Leipzig incident crossed a particularly serious line: authorities say an explosive-laden drone was placed at a major airport near an aircraft connected to Ukraine, and the country’s chancellor now says disaster was avoided largely by chance.
Sources: Reuters; Associated Press; German Federal Government
(Source: Reuters; Associated Press; German Federal Government)
