Germany and European allies confront wave of suspected Russian sabotage plots

Explosive drone plot at Leipzig airport

German authorities identified state-sponsored Russian involvement in an attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle airport, a key logistics hub for military deliveries to Ukraine. On 4 August, a bus driver found a drone equipped with an explosive charge near the runway. Shortly after takeoff, a cargo plane collided with a second drone and conducted an emergency landing, while investigators located a third drone with military explosives ten days later. German police are investigating a Belarusian citizen who holds a Russian passport and entered the Schengen zone through an Italian tourist visa issued in Minsk.

Wave of fires across European defense sites

The incident in Leipzig followed a series of unexplained fires and blasts at defense facilities across several European countries during August. On 10 August, a fire broke out at a warehouse in Triavna, Bulgaria, owned by the arms company EMCO, whose owner Emilian Gebrev previously survived a GRU poisoning attempt. On 13 August, an explosion followed a blaze at the KNDS Ammo factory near Rome, prompting a local inquiry into foreign interference. Two days later, Estonian police arrested two suspects following a fire at the Milrem Robotics factory in Tallinn, which manufactures unmanned systems for Ukraine. Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński stated that security agencies are monitoring increased hostile operations across the continent.

There are very many signals indicating that Russia is changing its strategy and intensifying its activities, including those of a terrorist and sabotage nature.

Diplomatic fallout and Schengen visa disputes

In response to the Leipzig plot, the German government ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn effective 18 September, cancelled the operating permit for the Russian House cultural center in Berlin, and summoned the Russian ambassador. Moscow retaliated by ordering the shutdown of all Goethe-Institut branches in Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the findings of the German investigation.

The accusations against Russia are completely baseless. We categorically reject these allegations, we consider them completely devoid of substance and without convincing arguments.

German officials also called on European Union partners to restrict tourist visas for Russian nationals, noting that three countries (Italy, France, and Spain) received three-quarters of all Russian visa applications in 2025.

Political divisions and security warnings

The incidents exposed differing political stances within the European Union. In Sofia, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev told parliament that Western military assistance to Kyiv provoked Russian retaliation on European infrastructure.

What can we expect when we attack... another country with our long-range weapons? Will that country stand aside or will it respond? The collective West is trying to achieve a conventional victory over Russia, without considering that it is the largest nuclear power and we cannot resist its hypersonic weapons.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged member states to accelerate defensive preparations against hybrid threats.

Europeans are facing the stark reality that this is the new normal. We have to step up, and that means being ready to respond better and faster to Russia's recklessness.

The escalation prompted CIA Director John Ratcliffe to visit Moscow to deliver warnings against attacks targeting NATO territory, as European governments introduced a 22nd package of sanctions and tightened surveillance of Russian oil tankers in the Baltic Sea.