Published on 03/09/2026
The United Kingdom’s Foreign Office summoned Russia’s top diplomat in London on Thursday to strongly condemn what it described as an “egregious and reckless” drone attack at Leipzig airport last month.
“Today, we summoned the Russian charge d’affaires to condemn this attack in the strongest terms,” a Foreign Office spokesperson stated. The official described the incident—which involved an explosive-laden drone—as part of a “clear pattern of attempts by the Russian state to undermine our collective security.”
The incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport occurred on the night of August 4–5, when police utilized a robot to neutralize a device discovered near a Ukrainian cargo plane. This event followed months of suspicious drone sightings over German military and industrial sites, which had already placed Berlin on high alert.
Weeks later, a second drone carrying traces of explosive substances was reportedly discovered in the vicinity of the airport.
The German government has officially blamed Russia for the incident, with the interior minister stating that it “fits the known pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe.” In response, Berlin has moved to close Russia’s consulate in Bonn and its cultural center in the capital.
Russia has dismissed the allegations as “absurd,” with its embassy in Germany rejecting the accusations as “unsubstantiated” and warning of “consequences” in response to Berlin’s actions.
‘We will not tolerate it’
The UK’s diplomatic action follows a wave of condemnation from other European capitals and institutions. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, speaking at a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Ireland, stated that the incident “has all the hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism.”
She added, “The question is, what do we do about this?”
Kallas noted that the EU has summoned the Russian envoy, with individual member states taking similar diplomatic steps.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the Leipzig incident as marking “a new escalation” in Europe.
“This was an attack using military-grade material carried out by Russian operatives on European Union soil,” she said following talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
“We will not tolerate it,” Von der Leyen warned, adding that such incidents have become a “new normal” for Europe as Russia intensifies its destabilizing activities.
Poland’s top diplomat, Radoslaw Sikorski, struck a similarly stark tone, stating, “We do not seek conflict with Russia, but Russia seems to be at hybrid war with us.”
“We are no longer in regular peacetime.”