The President of the European Council, António Costa, warned Russia in Luxembourg that "this is not the time to escalate" the war in Ukraine or expand the aggression to other countries, after Germany held Moscow responsible for the drone attack at Leipzig airport. Costa argued that it is "time to stop the war against Ukraine" and that "war is not the path to peace," emphasizing that the conflict has already lasted longer than World War I. The former Portuguese prime minister stated that the EU will continue to support Ukraine "regardless of the threats that Russia may make" against member states.
The German government announced that the investigation points to Russian intelligence services in the attempted attack on Leipzig/Halle airport on August 4, when a drone loaded with explosives was found in the cargo area and a second device hit a DHL plane. Ten days later, a third drone was found in a field near the airport. Berlin considered the episode part of a hybrid warfare campaign and announced measures against Russia, including the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn and the Russian cultural center in the German capital.
The EU is also preparing new response measures. The head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, described the failed attack as "state-sponsored terrorism" and summoned the Russian ambassador in Brussels, while several member states made similar summons. Portugal will also summon the Russian ambassador, with the Foreign Minister anticipating that the EU's response to the incident will be "very strong."
Leipzig airport is an important European cargo transportation hub and is used as a transit point for sending military aid to Ukraine. António Costa expressed solidarity with Germany and the other countries affected by similar threats, admitting he expects such incidents "to continue to happen" and arguing that member states should "coordinate positions on the best way to respond."
