Paywall free version with original text: https://archive.fo/M37gT
A drone containing explosives was discovered at Leipzig Airport in August. According to media reports, the government intends to officially hold Russia responsible for the incident.
According to a media report, the German government believes Russia is behind the drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport. The government plans to officially hold Moscow responsible in the coming days for the attempted attack using an explosive-laden drone in early August, reported Welt am Sonntag and the news portal Politico—which, like the newspaper, belongs to the Axel Springer publishing group—citing "three people familiar with the matter." "Extensive" measures are reportedly set to be announced at the same time.
The reports indicate that the plan involves a combination of direct measures by Germany and new EU sanctions. Consequently, the announcement is scheduled for early next week, coinciding with the EU foreign ministers' meeting in Ireland next Tuesday. However, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) could potentially bring the decision forward. According to the report, a government spokesperson would neither confirm nor deny the information: "The Chancellery does not engage in speculation. The only thing that matters is the official attribution made by the federal government at its own discretion and after weighing all investigative findings."
Ukrainian cargo plane a possible target for an attack
On the evening of August 4, a drone laden with explosives was discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport. Several Ukrainian cargo planes were located nearby. Leipzig/Halle Airport serves as a hub for military aid shipments to Ukraine for its war against Russia. According to reports, multiple drones were deployed in Leipzig.
In an interview with RTL on Thursday, Merz stated that the federal government would soon identify those responsible for the incident. So far, Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) has spoken only of the suspected involvement of "foreign powers" in the alleged attempted attack.
Should the German government officially accuse Russia, it will also have to provide a response that—ideally—deters Russian leader Vladimir Putin and his inner circle, or at the very least outlines the consequences Russia could face. For example, Germany could announce plans to invest more heavily in Ukraine’s air defense.
Translated by Google Translate, mistakes are my own.
Posted by IHateTrains123
2 Comments
According to *Politico* and *Welt am Sonntag* the German government are planning on labelling Russia as the perpetrator for the drone incident in Leipzig, and are also preparing for “extensive” measures against Russia. This planned announcement is scheduled for next week, and will coincide with the EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Ireland next Tuesday.
!ping Germany&Foreign-policy
It’ll be interesting to see what those “extensive measures” are.