Recently, the drone incident at Leipzig Airport in Germany has drawn attention. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrinck described this incident as a mixed attack, suggesting that there might be foreign forces involved.
Currently, the German authorities are conducting an investigation, and the suspect has not been identified yet.
Although the investigation is still ongoing, many European media have pointed the finger at Russia, and there are also rumors suggesting a "false flag operation".
As of press time, Russia has not responded to this matter. However, regarding similar accusations in the past, Russia has always denied them.
This incident occurred on the eve of elections in many regions of Germany in September. Some media have linked these two events together, directly pointing to Russian intervention in the elections.
According to sources from Germany's security authorities, recently, the spread of false information supported by Russia has been intensifying, with the aim of supporting the far-right German Alternative Party (AfD).
In response, the Russian side denied these accusations, stating that they were baseless and that Russia would not interfere in Germany's internal affairs.
On August 5th local time, German police reported the discovery of a 'drones armed with explosives' near a Ukrainian transport aircraft at Leipzig Airport. As a result, the airport was temporarily closed.
According to German media reports, on that day, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that the drone attack at Leipzig Airport was a combined attack, with its level of danger reaching a new height.
At the same time, he pointed out that all hypotheses regarding the types of explosives, the construction of unmanned vehicles, and their sources, as well as the behind-the-scenes culprits, will be investigated.
"If you think simple measures can counter this objective threat, then your thinking is superficial," said Dublint. "We are facing a game, and external forces may be involved. This will be part of our investigation."
The explosive device on the drone did not detonate, Reuters reported.
Dobritte said on that day that mixed threats are clearly visible, and such threats do not come from amateur individuals. Instead, they are often associated with foreign forces.
He told German Television Channel 2 that day: “We all want to know which foreign forces are involved, but it would be too reckless to accept any kind of speculation at this stage.”
It is reported that, according to German authorities, combined attacks typically do not target direct confrontations. Instead, they aim to disrupt situations through deliberate destruction, economic pressure, and the dissemination of false information, thereby creating uncertainty.
On August 6th, local time, the German federal prosecutors took over the investigation of the incident.
According to Reuters, the German Federal Prosecution Office stated on the same day that it is investigating a serious attack against Germany's transportation and logistics infrastructure, which could have an impact on Germany's domestic and international security.
German prosecutors stated in their statement that there is sufficient evidence indicating that the drone found at Leipzig Airport on the 5th was intended to cause an explosion. “The drone was equipped with standard explosives and a detonation device.”
Previously, Bild reported that according to investigators, due to technical defects, the explosive device on the drone failed to detonate.
According to reports, the drone was found near where a Ukrainian An-124 transport aircraft was parked. This transport aircraft is one of the largest cargo planes in the world.
According to reports by German media on August 6, a report from German police indicates that the transport plane was carrying ammunition at the time. However, the German Interior Ministry denied these reports.
Reuters reported that German authorities have not identified any suspects.
The Guardian notes that Leipzig Airport is a sensitive location, serving as a European base for Ukrainian Antonov transport aircraft used for heavy cargo transportation. Additionally, the airport is used by NATO and German troops for transport purposes, and it also serves as a logistics hub for German company DHL. The presence of Ukrainian transport aircraft at the airport suggests that it may be a key point for supplying supplies to Kyiv.
The Russian website 'gazeta.ru' pointed out that although Germany has not made any accusations yet, many European media have analyzed this incident in conjunction with investigations into a series of attacks on European infrastructure.
According to reports from sources within European security departments, the investigators are ‘currently considering’ the possibility that the incident is related to Russia. The report also noted that the investigation has become complicated due to factors such as attempted attacks and false information.
The Guardian's defense and security editor Dan Sabagh expressed his opinion in an article, claiming that this incident was related to Russia and suggesting that Russia may be involved. However, he also admitted that "the identity of the perpetrators is still unknown."
Sabag also said that he believes this is the 'first time' in Europe that a drone carrying explosives has been detected in an area far from the Ukrainian border.
Currently, the Russian side has not issued a formal response regarding the drone incident at Leipzig Airport.
According to ‘gazeta.ru’, Russia has repeatedly denied any accusations of sabotage made by European countries, calling them false information. Russian President's press secretary Peskov suggested that Europe should 'broaden its horizons', and pointed out that many politicians in the EU tend to accuse Russia without any basis.
Regarding accusations of combined attacks, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly stated that Europe uses such accusations to justify an “unprecedented” level of militarization. The ministry also emphasized that NATO is misleading European countries, attempting to divert attention from NATO’s own actions.
According to a report cited by the Russian news website lenta.ru, discussions about Ukraine-related incidents are taking place in Germany. Those who hold this view believe that the incident could be an "operation with a false flag": attacking German infrastructure could immediately be blamed on Russia.
Leipzig Airport has been a target before. In 2024, a fire device caused a fire at one of the airport's logistics centers, resulting in a cargo container catching fire. According to The Associated Press, Western security officials suspected that this was a plot orchestrated by Russian intelligence agencies.
Peskov responded by saying that media reports regarding this so-called sabotage plot were simply 'vague and fabricated claims'.
According to the Kommunist Times, earlier, Russian President Putin stated that there is no evidence to prove that Russia has carried out so-called cyberattacks or provocative actions in European countries. He criticized harshly those who made contrary claims without any basis.
Putin clearly stated that Moscow has not launched any wars against the West, and there is no such thing as Russia carrying out "destruction activities" or "provocative actions." He said that such accusations indicate that the West is unwilling to engage in dialogue with Russia as equal partners.
German Leipzig Airport IC Photo
In addition, some foreign media have linked this incident to Germany's local elections next month, accusing Russia of attempting to interfere in the elections.
On August 6 local time, the European edition of the American publication Politico EU published an article titled "The drone incident in Leipzig increases concerns over Russian interference in elections." The article claimed that Russia was accused of attempting to influence local elections scheduled to take place in September in the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. "These two former East German regions still have strong pro-Russian sentiment, and the AfD is expected to come to power at the state level for the first time."
According to reports, Martin Krieger, a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry, said: “We have indeed noticed that Russia is trying every day, in various ways—through mixed tactics and various measures—to exert influence in Germany, with the intention of destroying our democracy and eroding trust in politicians.”
The ‘politicians’ also wrote: “Russia has been spreading false information, portraying German Chancellor Merz and his government as war profiteers. The goal is to weaken the already unpopular chancellor and strengthen pro-Russian forces, such as the AfD and the far-left alliance of Sarah Wagenknecht (BSW). Both parties are very powerful in eastern Germany.”
German Foreign Relations Association expert on Russia issues Stefan Maier said, "The elections in Saxony-Anhalt and other eastern German states are the main targets of Russian influence, as these are crucial elections in Europe's core regions. Before the next month's voting, Russia is clearly launching a wide-scale coordinated attack against this region."
He believes that this may be the first time in history that the right has come to power. “The Russian side is conducting a large-scale campaign to turn these elections in favor of the AfD and BSW.”
But Maister emphasized that the investigation is still ongoing, and it is too early to attribute the discovery of drones at Leipzig Airport to Russia.
The report indicates that this drone incident may intensify the concerns of German citizens, who fear that their country's support for Ukraine is leading to wars in their own country.
Maist stated that this incident has heightened feelings of insecurity, which may be beneficial for 'populist parties'.
Polls show that in the series of local elections in September, the AfD has a chance to win an absolute majority in Saxony-Anhalt state. It is expected to become the largest party in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state. Additionally, it is predicted that the party will perform well in elections in Berlin as well.
According to data from the German polling agency Infratest dimap, survey results from July 23-28 showed that the AfD had the highest support rate in Saxony-Anhalt, at 41%. Survey results from July 2-6 indicated that the AfD also had the highest support rate in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at 36%.
According to a report by the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag on July 23, latest data from the German polling institute INSA shows that the AfD has topped the list of parties with support in Berlin for the first time, with a rating of 19%. Following that are the Christian Democratic Party and the Left party, both with a support rate of 18%.
It is reported that the AfD publicly condemns Russia’s special military actions, questions Germany’s policy of supporting Ukraine, opposes economic sanctions against Russia, and hopes to resume Russian natural gas imports. Alice Weidel, the joint leader of the AfD, stated in an interview in June this year, “Losing this (Russian) energy supply has put us years behind, with hundreds of thousands of jobs lost. This has made us dependent on the United States, and the energy that the US sells to us is much more expensive.”
The AfD has repeatedly denied accusations that it acts as a tool of the Kremlin or is pro-Russian, calling them political smear tactics. The joint chairperson of the AfD, Tino Krupper, once said, "It's no longer effective to label us Nazis; now they are trying to portray us as agents of Russia." "They are making accusations against us with things they cannot prove, and I think that is dishonest."
Previously, four members of the AfD, including European Parliament member Neuhoff, planned to travel to Russia to attend a conference that received criticism for being considered “treasonous”. Neuhoff argued that the trip was intended to participate in a conference organized by the Russian Academy of Sciences’ European Research Institute, which discussed the prospects of relations between the EU and the BRICS countries. “Those EU politicians who believe we should ignore the BRICS countries simply do not understand geopolitics.”
According to Reuters report on August 5th, sources from German security departments said that before the local elections, false information propaganda supported by Russia is intensifying, with the targets often being AfD's domestic political opponents.
Regarding this, the Russian Embassy in Berlin stated that before the elections, there were attempts to incite 'hysterical anti-Russian sentiment'. These accusations are 'endless and based on unfounded speculation and false statements... Of course, the relevant parties cannot present any solid evidence.'
The embassy emphasized that "we will not interfere in Germany's domestic affairs."
