EU summons Russian ambassador over Leipzig drone attack

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, summoned Russia’s ambassador to Brussels on Wednesday after Germany formally accused Moscow of orchestrating a failed drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month.

Germany’s foreign and interior ministers said on Tuesday that intelligence and investigations left no doubt Russia was behind the plot, which involved an explosives-laden drone. The attack was foiled before it could cause damage at the freight hub, a key logistics node for cargo flights across Europe. Kallas, speaking before an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Ireland, called the incident “state-sponsored terrorism” and said the bloc was weighing further sanctions against Russia. “We have already summoned the Russian ambassador,” she told reporters. “The question is, what do we do about this?”

France joined the response, summoning its own Russian envoy in Paris to protest the attack. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said any new measures should target Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of ships used to bypass oil sanctions. EU diplomats said the incident was part of a wider pattern of hybrid threats—cyberattacks, sabotage, and disinformation—linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Germany’s foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, defended Berlin’s conclusion as “well-founded,” citing forensic evidence and intelligence from “other hybrid operations by Russia.” Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said police findings and crime patterns matched past Russian tactics, though he gave no details.

The EU is preparing a fresh sanctions package of around 1,600 listings tied to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and officials hinted more could be added over the Leipzig plot. Non-EU allies, including Ukraine, the UK, Canada, Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland, attended Wednesday’s talks in Dublin to coordinate a response. Russia has denied involvement, with President Vladimir Putin calling the allegations a fabrication. Analysts say the drone incident signals Moscow’s willingness to escalate covert operations inside Europe as the war drags on. The next step will likely be a unified EU response, with sanctions and diplomatic expulsions expected to tighten pressure on the Kremlin.