Berlin to Name Suspects in Leipzig Drone Attack on Cargo Planes
Germany will soon identify those responsible for an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport, says Chancellor Merz, as investigators probe possible Russian involvement.
The German government is preparing to publicly identify those responsible for an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport earlier this month, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a coalition summit, Merz said his government was working closely with security authorities on the matter and would "set this out and comment on it shortly."
While local media have cited security sources suspecting Russian intelligence involvement, Berlin has not yet made any direct accusations. Moscow has denied any role in the incident.
The attempted attack occurred on August 4, when an explosives-laden drone was discovered near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft used for military supplies. Investigators believe a second drone may have collided with a DHL cargo plane shortly after the airport was temporarily shut down.
Leipzig/Halle serves as a key cargo and military logistics hub for NATO and Ukraine's Antonov Airlines.
Ten days later, investigators found a third drone to the west of the airport, along with approximately 50 grams of a substance suspected to be the military explosive hexogen, according to reports from broadcasters NDR and WDR and the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
The federal prosecutor general's office declined to comment on those reports.