— NEW: Germany has officially blamed Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency for the August 4 drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport.A quadcopter carrying Semtex and PETN explosives was discovered near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft at the airport but failed to detonate because of an apparent detonator malfunction. Investigators also suspect a second drone collided with a nearby cargo aircraft. German authorities linked the device’s construction and DNA evidence to previous GRU operations.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the incident followed the “well-established pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe” and warned Germany could be targeted again.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul accused Moscow of having “deliberately decided to further significantly damage our already massively strained bilateral relationship.”
Berlin responded by summoning the Russian ambassador; ordering the Russian consulate in Bonn closed from September 18; shutting down the Russian House in Berlin; and tightening entry restrictions for Russian citizens.
