Portugal will summon the Russian ambassador today to explain the hybrid attacks attributed by Germany to Moscow at Leipzig airport, announced Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel to the Lus news agency upon entering the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in County Wicklow, Ireland. Rangel added that the EU's reaction to the incident will be very "strong" and that the drone incidents will be discussed by the ministers, noting that "evidently some measures will be taken."
The German government held Russia responsible this Tuesday for the drone attack attempt against Leipzig airport in August, after the investigation pointed to Russian intelligence services. On the night of August 4, a drone loaded with explosives was found in the cargo operations area of the airport, near several Ukrainian cargo planes, and a second device reportedly hit a plane belonging to the DHL carrier. Ten days later, investigators found a third drone in a field in Kabelsketal, near the western area of the airport.
Leipzig airport is a major European cargo transport hub and is used as a transit point for sending military aid destined for Ukraine. Rangel noted that all member states are feeling hybrid threats from Russia, giving the example of Ireland, which has had "several incidents," including at airports, "not all with a clear origin."
When asked about the EU's response, the minister said that what is at stake is only sanctions, mentioning "a very broad sanctions package targeting individuals and companies." He also indicated that preventive security, cybersecurity and airspace measures may be agreed upon, some of which "will probably not be made public."
