EU and France summon Russian diplomats after Leipzig airport drone attack blamed on Moscow

The European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she has summoned Russia’s ambassador to Brussels after German officials linked a failed drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport to Moscow. Germany’s foreign and interior ministers announced that police, intelligence and forensic evidence pointed to Russian involvement, describing the incident as a hybrid operation using a drone and explosives similar to tactics seen in the war in Ukraine.

"We are discussing the Leipzig attacks, and also it is clear that it has all the hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism," Kallas told reporters ahead of an informal EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Ireland.

Kallas added that the EU is preparing a new sanctions package of about 1,600 entries related to Russia’s war in Ukraine and hinted that further measures could be added. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed that Paris had also summoned the Russian charge d’affaires in protest and called for European-wide sanctions, particularly against Russia’s shadow fleet of ships.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the EU would continue to increase pressure on Russia and maintain strong support for Ukraine, describing the German response as “necessary and proportionate.” Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the investigation’s findings, including the drone’s configuration and explosive components, matched known Russian hybrid operations.

Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have denied the accusations, claiming Germany fabricated the incident. Non-EU foreign ministers from Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland attended the Dublin talks.