German inquiry links Leipzig airport drone plot to suspect holding Italian visa

Identification of suspects in Leipzig plot

German federal authorities identified two suspects involved in the failed 4 August sabotage operation at Leipzig/Halle Airport. Investigative findings from the Federal Criminal Police Office revealed that the primary operative on site was a Belarusian citizen holding a Russian passport. A second suspect, a Russian national with a Latvian European Union passport, acted as the logistical coordinator and instructor for the mission. The coordinator flew into Berlin Brandenburg Airport in late July, rented a car to drive to Saxony, and left Germany by air two days before the attempted attack. German media reports indicated that investigators tracked the pair using mobile phone records connected to local cell towers, while intelligence services review whether up to four individuals participated in the wider cell.

Forensic evidence and sabotage equipment

Investigators recovered three drones, found either intact or partially damaged, near Ukrainian cargo planes stationed at the airport. The remote-controlled devices failed to detonate during the night between 4 and 5 August due to a faulty detonator mechanism. Forensic specialists matched DNA traces found inside the drones, on an explosive canister containing military-grade material, and on an antenna wired to a tree near the airfield perimeter that boosted mobile control signals. The biological samples yielded matches in Lithuanian and Finnish police databases, confirming previous criminal records in the Baltic region.

Diplomatic dispute over Schengen tourist visas

The discovery that the Belarusian operative entered the Schengen area on a tourist visa issued by the Italian embassy in Minsk in late April reignited European debates over visa policy. The news broke during an informal European Union foreign ministers meeting in Wicklow, Ireland. EU High Representative Kaja Kallas urged member states to impose stricter visa bans on Russian travelers, describing the incident as state-sponsored terrorism.

If confirmed, this news clearly shows that visas are used as a tool by these people who want to target the EU.

The disclosure placed scrutiny on Italy and France, which had resisted sweeping visa bans during prior sanctions negotiations. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani ordered a formal inquiry into the Minsk visa issuance, while Italy's parliamentary security committee prepared to review the matter. Preliminary checks by Italian security agencies indicated the suspect never transited through Italy.

We will carry out all necessary checks to verify if this was indeed the case, keeping in mind that there is a procedure for granting visas and if there is no specific alert on the person, it cannot be denied.

Wider infrastructure security threats in Germany

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that the evidence pointed to operatives acting on instructions from Russian state bodies, citing the pattern of European hybrid operations. Moscow denied responsibility, termed the accusations a provocation campaign, and summoned the German chargé d'affaires. The Leipzig inquiry coincides with a wave of suspected sabotage incidents across Germany, including a grenade explosion outside Augsburg railway station that injured two people, damaged power cables in Bergheim, and half-meter projectile strikes on the largest electrical substation in Brandenburg.