Drone alarm in Europe

Kallas: Russia is engaged in “state-sponsored terrorism”

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says that Russia is engaged in “state-sponsored terrorism” after Germany’s drone alarm, writes Kyiv Independent.

– The only question is what to do now. We will discuss that today, she says according to TT ahead of a meeting with EU foreign ministers.

She says that Russia is working to deter continued support for Ukraine, something that it will not back down from.

On Tuesday, Germany pointed to Russia as being behind the explosive drone found at Leipzig airport in August.

Two men suspected of the drone at Leipzig airport

German investigators have identified two people suspected of being behind the drone with explosives at Leipzig airport in Germany, according to information to Süddeutsche Zeitung.

One of them is a man born in Russia, who has a Latvian passport. And a man from Belarus with a Russian passport, according to the newspaper.

The man with a Latvian passport is suspected of having connections to the Russian intelligence service. He is said to have flown from Berlin a month ago and then left the country two days before the attack. The other man is said to have had DNA traces on one of the drones.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has previously pointed out Russia as responsible for the attack.

Analysis: A Russian success – Putin expected this

Germany's response to the drone incident in Leipzig is justified but probably does not affect Vladimir Putin to any great extent, writes Thorsten Knuf in an analysis in the Berliner Morgenpost.

At the same time as Russia was singled out, the German government announced that the Russian consulate in Bonn and a Russian cultural center in Berlin would be closed. It is also threatened with new EU sanctions against Russia. The Russian president probably expected this, writes Knuf.

“From a Russian perspective, the operation was still a success: like other attacks and drone flights, it contributes to spreading fear and uncertainty in the West.”

Lina Lund writes in Dagens Nyheter that the drones – at least one of which was explosive – are a serious escalation. She believes that the German response “stings” for Russia but believes that the response would have been different if an aircraft had actually exploded.

“The question is how many live bombs are required before NATO feels compelled to respond with other means.”

The drone incident in Leipzig — that’s the point

• A drone with explosives was found near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig airport in Germany on the night of August 5, 2026.
• German police disarmed and destroyed the drone, which was reportedly carrying Semtex in a tin can and had advanced control functions.
• German authorities later found two more drones at the airport.
• The German government accused Russia on September 1 of being behind the attack, calling it part of Russian hybrid attacks on Europe.
• Russia has denied any involvement, calling the accusations a fabricated provocation, and promised a response to Germany's accusations.