Friedrich Merz Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa (www.dpa.de)
According to Politico, citing three European officials, the incident in question took place on August 4. A drone carrying an explosive device was discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport near a Ukrainian An-124 cargo plane. German authorities are treating the incident as a possible hybrid attack. Later, another drone was found near the airport, along with about 50 grams of a substance believed to be hexogen.
Berlin has not yet officially named those responsible. Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the investigation is nearing completion and that the government will announce its response in the coming days. According to him, the decision is being coordinated with Germany’s partners in the EU and NATO.
If these plans are implemented, Germany will shift from a predominantly diplomatic response to alleged Russian hybrid operations to direct sanctions against Russian organizations. Politico sources are calling the possible new course “Zeitenwende 2.0”—by analogy with the shift in German security policy announced after the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine.
At the same time, Brussels is preparing one of the most extensive expansions of sanctions lists in recent memory. The preliminary list could include about 1,600 individuals and organizations—800 individuals and 800 legal entities. The proposal is expected to be discussed by EU foreign ministers, and the package could be finalized in October.
The EU is also once again discussing the fate of frozen Russian state assets. However, progress on this issue is complicated by Belgium’s position: a significant portion of the Russian assets blocked by European sanctions are held in the Belgian depository Euroclear.
The German government is expected to present its position in the coming days—after the investigation into the incident in Leipzig is completed and consultations with European and NATO allies have taken place.
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