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German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has said that the attempted sabotage at Leipzig Airport was part of a hybrid war being waged by Russia against Ukraine’s European allies, the BBC reported.
According to Dobrindt, the German government concluded that Russia was involved after analysing the technologies used in the attempted sabotage and other information, including intelligence data.
Foreign Ministry representative Johann Wadephul said that in response to the attempted sabotage, Germany is closing the Russian consulate in Bonn and the Russian House in Berlin, a large building in the centre of the capital that has long been suspected of involvement in espionage activities.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen immediately responded to the German government’s announcement, assuring that the European Union has stood and continues to stand in solidarity with Germany. She added that EU foreign ministers would discuss how to respond to these Russian actions at their upcoming meeting.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also issued a similar statement of solidarity on behalf of the alliance.
Earlier, a drone equipped with an explosive device was discovered near one of the runways at Leipzig/Halle Airport. It was rendered safe using a bomb disposal robot.