Two Russian suspects identified in Germany airport drone ‘hybrid attack’: Media

Russia said Wednesday it was summoning Germany's charge d'affaires to protest what it called "anti-Russian actions and statements by the German authorities."(AFP) — German media reported Wednesday that police have identified two Russian suspects linked to an attempted “hybrid attack” involving an explosives-laden drone at a strategic airport last month.The German government on Tuesday blamed Russia for the incident at Leipzig airport, saying it employed “low-level agents,” and announced measures including the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn and a Russian cultural center in Berlin.According to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper and regional public broadcasters NDR and WDR, the first suspect is a Belarusian national who also holds a Russian passport and is believed to have entered the Schengen area on an Italian tourist visa issued in Minsk.The man, whose DNA was reportedly found at the airport, had previously attracted attention for offenses committed in the Baltic states, the outlets reported.The second suspect, who reportedly holds both Latvian and Russian passports, is believed to have acted as a logistics coordinator and instructor for the hybrid attack.After arriving at Berlin airport at the end of July, he allegedly rented a car and traveled to the Leipzig region before leaving Germany two days before the suspected attack.The two men were reportedly identified through DNA traces found by police at and around the airport, including on a drone, in a tin can filled with explosives and on an antenna attached to a tree.European databases made it possible to find matches, notably in Lithuania and Finland, that were corroborated by intelligence service information, according to the outlets.The drone was discovered in a secure cargo operations area at Leipzig airport near a Ukrainian cargo plane.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that he had discussed “Russia’s attack” on German soil with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz by telephone.“This is yet another Russian escalation, and it is important that Germany responded,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.According to German media, another drone was later discovered near the airport and also bore traces of explosive substances.Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Germany’s reaction was a “mistake, a serious one.”Russia said Wednesday it was summoning Germany’s charge d’affaires to protest what it called “anti-Russian actions and statements by the German authorities.”Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads