German investigators name Belarusian and Russian suspects in Leipzig drone attack
German security agencies say a Belarusian citizen and a Russian national linked to Russia's military intelligence were behind the August drone attack on Leipzig-Halle airport, which was defused before detonating.
German federal and state security agencies have identified, with a high degree of certainty, a Belarusian citizen and a Russian national connected to Russia's military intelligence service as the primary suspects in the August 4 drone attack on Leipzig-Halle airport. The assessment is based on confidential investigative files reviewed by senior officials from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the Federal Criminal Police Office, the Federal Intelligence Service and other agencies.
The Russian suspect, believed to be affiliated with the GRU, is said to have planned the operation and coordinated the explosives, while the Belarusian individual acted as a “disposable agent” hired to carry out the sabotage. The Belarusian entered the Schengen area via Latvia on July 28, a week before the incident, and the Russian entered Germany through Berlin-Brandenburg Airport from Turkey before departing for Serbia and later returning to Russia.
Investigators found an explosive-laden drone near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane at the airport. The device, containing about 600 grams of Semtex concealed in a food can, was safely defused after a detonator failed. Two additional drones with similar payloads were discovered nearby. Officials warned that, had the charge detonated, it could have caused a massive explosion and extensive damage to the airport infrastructure.
Evidence suggests the explosives were transported to Germany via Bulgaria and Serbia in hidden compartments of trucks and stored in several underground caches near the airport. Forensic analysis of a control antenna found near the site linked the Belarusian suspect to DNA samples previously recorded in Finland and Lithuania, where he has prior criminal records.
The investigation is being coordinated with law-enforcement authorities in Lithuania, Poland, Latvia and Finland, and German officials have been in contact with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. At a joint press conference on September 1, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt held Russia responsible for the attack, a claim Russia has denied.
"The evidence points to a coordinated operation involving a Russian intelligence operative and a Belarusian operative hired to execute the sabotage," said a senior German security official.
The drones were homemade devices assembled from readily available parts, including Chinese-made motors sold in Russian online stores. The incident underscores ongoing concerns about cross-border sabotage networks targeting critical infrastructure in Europe.