Germany's federal government announced on September 1, 2026, that it has officially attributed an attempted explosive drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ) in Germany to Russia. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that police investigation results, the pattern of the offense, and intelligence findings from German security services and international partners together established Russian responsibility for the August 4, 2026, security incident.
According to reporting by AeroTime, the incident occurred at approximately 19:30 local time on August 4, 2026, when a drone flew toward a parked Antonov Airlines Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft inside the secured area of Leipzig/Halle Airport. The drone struck one of the aircraft's wings, causing the explosive charge to separate upon impact, though the detonator failed to function. Investigators later recovered a third drone along with roughly 50 grams of the explosive hexogen from a field in Kabelsketal, west of the airport.
The Federal Prosecutor General's office took over the criminal investigation from Dresden prosecutors on August 6, 2026, focusing on allegations of attempting to cause an explosion and dangerous interference with air traffic. Dobrindt described the technical configuration recovered at the site as professional, indicating significant technical expertise and organizational planning, while noting that the execution of the attempt was carried out by low-level agents.
In response to the incident, Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announced a series of diplomatic measures, including the closure of Russia's last operating consulate general in Bonn, Germany, effective September 18, 2026. Germany will also terminate the contract for the Russian House cultural institute in Berlin, tighten entry controls for Russian nationals, and propose new EU sanctions. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow intends to respond in kind to the diplomatic actions.
