Germany prepares sanctions against Russia over drone attack on Ukrainian plane at Leipzig airport
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is preparing to hold Russia responsible for the drone attack on a Ukrainian An-124 plane at Leipzig airport. Berlin plans to announce “wide-ranging” sanctions against Russian entities as it prepares a new package of EU restrictions.
This is reported by Politico .
According to three German officials familiar with the situation, the German government plans to take direct measures against Russian entities. These are to run parallel to EU sanctions currently being prepared in Brussels.
The decision is expected to be announced early next week. It could be timed to coincide with a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Ireland on Tuesday, but two officials said the announcement could come earlier, depending on Merz’s decision.
One German official said that in response to the Leipzig incident, it is no longer enough to simply expel individual Russian diplomats or close the “Russia House” in Berlin. Possible measures being considered include tightening sanctions or increasing arms supplies to Ukraine.
German officials have not disclosed what specific measures Merz plans to announce. It is also unclear how Berlin plans to hold specific Russians or the Russian government accountable for the attempted drone attack. Officials say Germany should also be prepared for possible punitive measures from Moscow in response to its actions.
The incident occurred on August 5 at Leipzig Airport. A drone with explosives was found near a Ukrainian An-124 transport aircraft. After analyzing camera footage, law enforcement officers determined that the drone attacked the wing of the aircraft, where fuel tanks are usually located. The explosives on the drone did not detonate for unknown reasons. The An-124, near which the drone was found, was carrying military cargo.
Merz’s decision is expected against the backdrop of a series of incidents in the EU, which senior officials characterize as manifestations of “hybrid warfare.” According to Politico, the introduction of sanctions against Russia will be evidence of a further strengthening of Berlin’s position towards Moscow.
At the same time, a German government spokesman said that the chancellery is not involved in speculation about Russia’s responsibility. According to him, only the official identification of the responsible party based on the results of the investigation is important.
The expected decision also has a domestic political context. Next week, elections will be held in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, and in two weeks – in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin. In Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the far-right Alternative for Germany, which is described as a pro-Russian party, is leading in the polls.
Merz has already stated that the incident in Leipzig will have serious consequences, but did not name specific measures.
It was previously reported that German special services discovered a cache of two firearms near Berlin. According to the investigation, it could have been set up on behalf of Russian special services to prepare sabotage or other forceful actions in Germany.
In addition, German intelligence agencies have linked the incident involving a drone packed with explosives found at Leipzig/Halle airport to Russia. However, the German government has not yet officially accused Moscow, as the investigation is still ongoing. According to US intelligence, the design of the drone and the explosives had characteristics typical of devices from the Russian GRU.
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