Germany says Russia behind Leipzig airport drone attack

A drone carrying an explosive device was discovered at the airport close to Ukrainian cargo planes on 4 August.

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Getty Images A police investigator works on the tarmac with a robot capable of defusing explosives near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport on 5 AugustGetty Images

Germany has said Russia was responsible for last month’s drone attack at Leipzig’s airport.

A drone carrying an explosive device was discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany, close to Ukrainian cargo planes, on 4 August.

It failed to explode as the detonator was apparently faulty, and investigators suspect a second drone collided with a cargo aircraft nearby.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the attack on 4 August followed the “well-established pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe” and the assumption was that Germany would be targeted again.

Security experts had speculated that Russia may have been responsible, however Russia has until now rejected claims of involvement.

Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany is used by the Germany military and Nato allies for the transport of military goods and also serves as a base for Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines – which carries most of the country’s aerial cargo.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who was standing beside Dobrindt at a press conference in Berlin, said he would order the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn, and the contract for the Russian House in Berlin will also be terminated – which many observers have said has been used for espionage and to spread Russian propaganda.

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