German authorities investigating a suspected bombing attempt in the eastern part of the country said on Tuesday, Sept. 1, that Russia was behind the incident.
The attempt happened Aug. 5 at Leipzig/Halle Airport, over 110 miles south of Berlin. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said a drone loaded with explosives was discovered near an airport runway. The device was discovered before it could explode.
"Intelligence gathered by our own agencies and partner agencies," Dobrindt told reporters Sept. 1, "clearly point to Russian involvement in these planned, executed and also thwarted hybrid activities."
Russian officials in Berlin denied all involvement in the suspected attack, calling the claims "fabricated provocation" and "a new wave of anti-Russian
hysteria in Germany."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to Russia's state-run RIA news agency, said he had not seen proof of Russian involvement and that "Germany is pursuing a path of further escalation."
According to Germany’s Bild newspaper, the device was found near a Ukrainian cargo plane.
USA TODAY has reached out to German authorities for further details about the suspected attack.
Rise of suspicious incidents in Germany
The attempted attack comes amid a series of suspicious incidents and unauthorized drone flights at German military facilities, energy sites and logistical hubs.
Among other incidents, the power grid for the German state of Brandenburg was targeted Tuesday. Brandenburg is the federal state that surrounds Berlin. At about the same time of the drone incident at Leipzig/Halle, investigators were also looking into what struck a DHL cargo plane in the area of the airport.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Tuesday that the drone incident is part of a series of similar attacks throughout the region.
"It fits into a broader pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe," Wadephul said.
The foreign minister announced that in response to the drone incident, Germany will be closing Russia’s consulate in Bonn, breaking off relations with a Russian cultural center in Berlin and strengthening controls on Russian nationals entering Germany.
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Germany points finger at Russia for attempted drone attack at airport
