Leaders of NATO and the European Commission warned that Russia is becoming increasingly reckless and vowed to respond to the «new norm». European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that «Leipzig marks a new escalation on the territory of the European Union, directly attributed to Russia». This came a day after Germany accused Russia of a failed drone attack on Leipzig airport last month.
«We must intensify our actions, and that means being ready to respond to Russia’s recklessness faster and better», said Ursula von der Leyen. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte noted that the entire alliance, which includes the U.S., is «fully in solidarity with Germany».
Russia rejected Germany’s allegations that on August 4, a drone carrying explosives was deliberately targeted at a Ukrainian cargo plane. The drone was neutralized by a robot at Leipzig/Halle airport, while a second drone reportedly collided with another cargo plane. A third drone was allegedly found 10 days later at the airport, a key NATO hub regularly used by Ukrainian Antonov transport aircraft.
Only on Tuesday did the German government state that police investigations and intelligence data had proven Russia’s involvement in the incidents. The interior minister said the drone’s configuration, components, explosives, and detonator were known from other Russian hybrid operations.
Two suspects have been identified in the Leipzig attack: a Belarusian with a Russian passport who entered on a tourist visa, and another with Latvian and Russian passports who flew into Berlin and left two days before the failed attack.
Berlin’s response and Russia’s reaction
Berlin announced it would close Russia’s consulate in Bonn, as well as the cultural institution «Russian House», widely suspected in Berlin of being used as a propaganda channel for the Kremlin. The Russian Foreign Ministry promised a «mirror» response and stated that Berlin had provided no evidence to support its claims.
Vladimir Putin condemned Germany’s measures as a serious mistake that «clearly contradicts the interests of the German people». When asked if Moscow was prepared to sever ties with Berlin, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko replied «possibly», but added that for now, Russia is giving diplomacy a chance.
Critics in Germany suggested that Berlin’s response was relatively weak, but the government is aiming for a more coordinated response with its allies, including expanded EU sanctions and entry restrictions for Russian visitors across the bloc. Ursula von der Leyen clearly stated that the Leipzig attack involved «military-grade materials delivered by Russian operatives into the European Union». «We will not tolerate this», she said.
As she met with Rutte in Brussels, EU foreign ministers gathered in Wicklow, Ireland, where French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that at the European level, measures could be taken against Russia’s so-called «shadow fleet» of ships transporting oil and other cargo to evade EU sanctions. Barrot and his counterparts from Belgium and the Netherlands said they had summoned Russian ambassadors in protest over the attack. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budris said it was clear that Russia does not see the political consequences of its hybrid operations against European allies.
Wide range of hybrid attacks
The Leipzig attack was part of a broader series of increasingly dangerous incidents, including drones and interference with critical infrastructure, Ursula von der Leyen said. Mark Rutte added that there is a growing threat to Europeans from drones and missiles crossing the borders of countries on the alliance’s eastern flank, and there have been more «hostile actions directly targeting our territory, whether fires set at factories producing defense equipment for Ukraine, or Russia’s hybrid attack in Leipzig».
In the past 24 hours alone, Germany recorded several suspected acts of sabotage, including two attacks on power substations—one in the east and one in the west near Cologne. While authorities do not yet know who is behind these incidents, the interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Herbert Reul, said the attack on power lines in Bergheim in western Germany was deliberate, and whoever carried it out attacked the entire country. «We are investigating two possibilities: sabotage directed by a foreign state, and left-wing extremism», he said. Police reported that six launchers were found at the scene.
Meanwhile, in neighboring Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said a fire at a combat drone factory in Skarżysko-Kamienna, 140 km (85 miles) south of Warsaw, was a deliberate act of arson and sabotage. Arson has also not been ruled out in the case of a fire at a factory in Lublin on Sunday evening.
Ursula von der Leyen said sanctions have already been used to deter Russia, and EU foreign ministers discussed further ways to «hit Russia’s war chest harder». The EU has already agreed to provide Ukraine with a loan of €90 billion (£77 billion), and Ursula von der Leyen said Kyiv has requested billions more in funding to pay for PAC-3 anti-aircraft defense missiles. She said work is already underway on a joint European-Ukrainian anti-ballistic missile defense project, Freyja.
She promised that Europe and NATO would not only maintain pressure on Moscow but also increase it. «We will increase it and we will not stop until Russia stops bombing and killing innocent children, men, and women in Ukraine», she stated.
Source: BBC World
