Russia has sharply denied any responsibility for the drone incident at Leipzig Airport. In a statement released on Friday, the Russian embassy in Berlin said it was "concerned about a new wave of anti-Russian hysteria in Germany." Speculation about a Russian attack attempt, the embassy said, amounted to a "fabricated provocation that serves only the interests of the Kyiv regime and the militaristic wing of the European political establishment," according to the statement, which was published in Russian.
"The greatest danger Germany faces today does not come from alleged 'hybrid attacks' from Moscow, which do not exist," the embassy's statement continues. The real danger, it argues, lies instead "in politicians who are enthusiastically drawing up scenarios for a war with Russia in the near future and who want German citizens to take part in it." According to the embassy, such reports are merely being used by European politicians to justify their support for Ukraine.
The drone was discovered overnight into Wednesday by a Leipzig Airport employee in the security area of the cargo operations. An explosive device attached to the drone was defused by Federal Police explosives experts. Several Ukrainian cargo aircraft were parked nearby. Leipzig/Halle Airport is regarded as a key transfer point for military aid shipments to Ukraine.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) met with police and security officials at Leipzig Airport on Wednesday to be briefed on the situation. He afterward described it as a "new threat scenario." Without naming a possible perpetrator, the interior minister said the incident "possibly also involves foreign powers." Suspicion has fallen on Russia, though no evidence has been presented so far.
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