Germany blames Russia for last month’s attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport

BERLIN (AP) – The German administration on Tuesday blamed Russia for an attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month using a drone laden with explosives, and unveiled that it would shut down a Russian consulate among other measures.

What happened

Meanwhile, the drone was discovered near a Ukrainian plane on Aug. 4 and the device was defused. German authorities stated at the time that the incident posed a new level of danger.

Moscow has been widely accused by Western authorities of running a campaign of sabotage and disruption with the aim of undermining backing for Ukraine and destabilizing European nations. Minister notes evidence points to a familiar pattern.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt remarked authorities identified elements such as the drone configuration, components, explosives and detonator that are "known to us from other Russian hybrid operations and its war against Ukraine." He noted the device pointed to "a high degree of technical expertise" and painstaking planning, but carrying out the plan appears to have been left to "low-level" agents.

The bottom line

In short, germany blames Russia for last month's attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.