Relations between Germany and Russia have deteriorated sharply after Berlin formally accused Moscow of responsibility for a failed explosives-laden drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, prompting diplomatic retaliation, new EU sanctions discussions and heightened concern over possible sabotage of German infrastructure.

The German government said this week that its security services had concluded Russia was behind the attempted attack on 4 August, when a drone carrying explosives and a detonator was discovered inside a secure section of Leipzig/Halle Airport near Ukrainian cargo aircraft.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said police investigations, intelligence findings and similarities with previously documented Russian operations pointed to involvement by Russian state entities. He described Germany as a daily target of hybrid warfare, while stressing that Berlin did not regard itself as being at war with Moscow.

Leipzig/Halle is one of Germany's most important freight airports and also serves as a logistics hub used by Ukrainian Antonov aircraft and NATO operations.

German authorities said the device failed to detonate. The Guardian reported that the drone carried around 600 grams of explosives and was found close to Ukrainian cargo aircraft during the night of 4 to 5 August.

Berlin responded by summoning the Russian ambassador, ordering the closure of Russia's consulate general in Bonn and moving to shut the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin.

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also announced tighter controls on Russian nationals entering Germany and said Berlin would push for additional European sanctions and tougher measures against Russia's so-called shadow fleet.

Putin rejects Germany's accusations

Moscow has categorically denied involvement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the German authorities of fabricating evidence and attempting to blame Russia for the incident.

“Where is the evidence?” Putin said while rejecting Berlin's conclusions, according to reports of his remarks.

He argued that Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government was using confrontation with Russia to distract attention from domestic political and economic problems and falling public support.

Russia's Foreign Ministry subsequently summoned Germany's chargé d'affaires in Moscow and described Berlin's accusations as “entirely fabricated”, accusing the German government of deliberately escalating bilateral tensions.

Moscow warned that Germany's actions would receive a “firm response”.

The dispute represents one of the most serious direct confrontations between Berlin and Moscow since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

New sabotage investigations in Germany

The confrontation comes as German authorities investigate separate incidents involving critical energy infrastructure.

Investigators in Brandenburg opened a terrorism-related investigation after devices resembling improvised rockets were discovered at a power substation near the Jänschwalde coal-fired power station.

One of the devices caused a temporary disruption to the electricity supply, although authorities said it did not trigger a major outage.

In a separate incident near Bergheim, west of Cologne, deliberate short circuits disrupted another power substation after conductive cables were reportedly placed across power lines.

Five coal-fired power units with a combined capacity of about 4,200 megawatts were temporarily affected.

Authorities have not established responsibility for either incident, and investigators are examining a range of possibilities, including foreign sabotage and domestic extremist involvement.

There is currently no confirmed evidence connecting the power incidents directly to Russia or to the Leipzig drone case.

Europe rallies behind Berlin

Germany's assessment of the Leipzig incident has received strong backing from NATO and European Union officials.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the attempted attack displayed “all the hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism” and said European governments would respond collectively.

EU foreign ministers have discussed expanding sanctions against Russian individuals and organisations linked to the country's military-industrial sector.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also backed Berlin's conclusions, saying Germany had presented clear evidence and warning that hostile actions targeting NATO countries would not weaken the alliance's support for Ukraine.

Russia retaliates

The dispute escalated further on Thursday when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Moscow would close branches of Germany's Goethe-Institut in Moscow, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.

Lavrov said the decision was a direct response to Germany's move against the Russian cultural centre in Berlin.

He argued that Berlin must have understood that its measures would bring an end to Germany's comparable cultural presence in Russia.

The Goethe-Institut has operated in Russia since the early 1990s and has long represented one of the remaining channels of cultural exchange between the two countries.

Further Russian measures could follow. Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko had already warned that Moscow would retaliate quickly over the closure of its Bonn consulate.

The rapidly expanding dispute now extends beyond the original drone investigation, encompassing diplomatic missions, cultural institutions, sanctions and growing concerns over the security of German infrastructure.

For Berlin, the Leipzig case is evidence of an increasingly aggressive Russian hybrid campaign.

For Moscow, it is a politically motivated accusation based on evidence Russia says has been manufactured.

With neither side showing signs of backing down, relations between Europe's largest economy and Russia appear set to deteriorate further.

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