Germany to Blame Russia for Leipzig Airport Drone Incident on Ukrainian Cargo Plane
Germany's Response to Leipzig Airport Drone Attack
Planned Announcement by German Ministers
BERLIN, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Germany's ministers for the interior and for foreign affairs plan to announce on Tuesday that Russian intelligence services were behind an attempted drone attack on a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle airport in early August, Bild newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Bild cited security sources in its online edition.
Official Government Reactions
The interior ministry and a government spokesperson declined to comment. The foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Media Reports and Countermeasures
News outlets Welt am Sonntag and Politico on Sunday reported the German government is preparing to hold Russia responsible for the attempted drone attack in Leipzig/Halle, a major air freight hub, and that it would ready countermeasures against Moscow.
Political Accusations and Context
German government members have said "foreign powers" could be behind the incident, but some lawmakers have pointed the finger at Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion in Ukraine in 2022.
Russian Embassy's Response
The Russian embassy in Berlin has previously dismissed such accusations as "fabricated provocation" and as "a new wave of anti-Russian hysteria in Germany".
(Reporting by Ludwig Burger, additional reporting by Andreas Rinke and Markus Wacket, editing by Thomas Seythal)
