Germany formally blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport and announced countermeasures including the closure of a consulate and a Russian House. BBC News reported that Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the attack followed the "well-established pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe"1 and the assumption was that Germany would be targeted again.
The European Union summoned Russia's envoy over the incident. Al Jazeera English reported that EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, speaking at a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers in Ireland, said "it is clear that it has all the hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism."2 Breitbart similarly reported that the EU's top diplomat said the attack blamed on Russia appears to be "state sponsored terrorism," as EU countries weighed their response. The Wall Street Journal reported that Berlin said it would retaliate for the incident, and that evidence for it was claimed by Putin to have been planted.
Russia denied responsibility for the attack. BBC News reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Germany of planting evidence to blame Moscow for the attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport. Le Monde (English) reported that Putin, in televised comments, branded the sanctions move "another mistake, a serious one,"3 saying it "clearly runs counter to the interests of the German people."3
Russia retaliated by announcing the closure of German cultural centers on its territory. The Washington Times reported that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia will close German cultural centers, a measure reflecting deepening tensions between Moscow and European countries that are helping Ukraine resist the Kremlin's four and a half year old invasion.
