German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Germany will respond in the coming days to the hybrid attack recorded at Leipzig airport, in a reaction coordinated with the European Union and NATO. Merz revealed that there is broad consensus in the Government on how to respond and that it has been agreed with European and transatlantic partners, promising that the response will be clear and will not take much longer.
On the night of August 4, an explosive-laden drone was found at Leipzig airport, the target being a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane used to transport military material. The alleged assassination attempt failed due to a defect in the bomb's detonator. It is also believed that a second drone may have collided with a DHL cargo plane, which had been forced to abort its landing in Leipzig, with subsequent inspections revealing damage to the stabilizer of the aircraft diverted to Hannover.
On Tuesday, Merz stated that Germany has been increasingly targeted by hybrid attacks and promised that his Government will make those responsible pay a price. The German executive has avoided explicitly mentioning Russia, limiting itself to speaking of a hybrid attack and a "foreign power", although sources from German security services consider the involvement of Russian intelligence services in the planning to be certain.
Investigators also found, on August 14, another unmanned aerial vehicle near Leipzig airfield, as well as explosives. When questioned about Germany's capacity to respond appropriately if Russia is behind this hybrid attack, Merz limited himself to saying: "Let's wait and see what 'responding appropriately' means."
