Germany blames Russia for drone attack on Leipzig airport

Germany has officially accused Russia of orchestrating a drone attack on Leipzig airport and has responded by closing Russian diplomatic facilities and increasing security measures. The incident involved an explosive-laden drone found near a cargo plane, leading to heightened tensions between Berlin and Moscow.
Why it matters
The escalation of hybrid warfare tactics against European infrastructure poses a significant threat to regional security and diplomatic relations.
Germany has accused Russia of being responsible for the drone attack targeting Leipzig airport last month, and announced a slew of new measures against Moscow. “We are not at war, but we are a daily target of hybrid attacks,” Germany’s interior minister Alexander Dobrindt told reporters on Tuesday, as he raised the country’s threat level assessment from “general” to “high”. Germany’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul also ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn, and the Russian House, a cultural center, in Berlin. Germany is also tightening controls Russians entering the country. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the EU’s executive arm, said European foreign ministers would announce a “clear response” to Russia including “additional sanctions” later this week. The US previously assessed that an explosive-laden drone discovered at the airport in east Germany belonged to a Russian intelligence service, a US defense official in Europe told CNN.
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