Germany is placing the blame for an “incursion of explosive-laden drones” in August at the feet of Russian President Vladimir Putin and they’re prepared to retaliate.
“The attack involved tools such as the drone configuration, various components, explosives and cyber technology that we recognize from other Russian hybrid operations and its war against Ukraine,” Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said when speaking to reporters on Tuesday. “The German government has therefore concluded that Russia is responsible for the hybrid attack in Leipzig on August 4.”
Germany said that it is willing to deploy diplomatic measures currently, though it is an escalation.
CNN reporter Aaron Blake remarked that President Donald Trump swore, Putin is “not going to attack a NATO territory.” Yet, Germany made it clear that Russia is responsible for stopping a drone attack targeting the Leipzig airport.
It comes after Russian forces attacked the Orlivka international ferry crossing, which sits on the border of Ukraine and Romania, the Kyiv Post reported Tuesday.
NATO was forced to scramble F-18 fighter jets last week after a suspected Russian drone approached Romania. The incident prompted concerns that Russia was escalating its war with Ukraine to include NATO territory.
It is the latest in a series of incidents in which Russian drones entered — and sometimes exploded — in NATO member countries. There have been a few Ukrainian drones that were said to have been “pushed off course through electronic jamming” by Russian fighters, The Guardian reported in May.
That same month, “Defense News” reported that turning Ukraine’s drones toward NATO airspace has been intentional, Lithuania said at the time.
“The jamming has been escalating for nearly three years, since Russia began disrupting signals around the 2023 NATO summit in Vilnius, and now spikes whenever Ukrainian drones fly toward Russian targets,” the report at the time said.
Politico reported Tuesday that the August attack involved “three drones — two of which carried explosive material — spotted at Leipzig-Halle Airport in eastern Germany in August, including one drone that was found near a Ukrainian Antonov plane used to transport munitions.”
The German response is a significant shift in response to Russia under Chancellor Friedrich Merz. In the past he’s made it clear that Germany is neither at war nor at peace, but Politico noted it’s the first time Germany has indicated it will respond to Russia with countermeasures.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced on X, “NATO stands in full solidarity with Germany after the Russian hybrid attack in Leipzig on 14 August. The evidence is clear. And I welcome the measures announced by Germany in response. NATO will continue to strengthen our ability to deter and defend all Allies against any threat – including malign actions like those seen in Leipzig and elsewhere across the Alliance. Russia’s attempts to intimidate us, to undermine our unity and our willingness to support Ukraine are futile and will fail. Our support to Ukraine is unwavering, as is our ironclad commitment to NATO’s collective defence.”
The statement came about two hours before CENTCOM announced that the U.S. was bombing Iranian targets again.