Attack on Ukrainian aircraft in Leipzig: Two suspects linked to Russia
Photo: Ukrainian An-124 aircraft at Leipzig Airport (Getty Images)
Investigators have identified two suspects in a planned attack on a Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig Airport. Both have links to Russia, according to Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Suspects’ links to Russia
A man of Russian origin with a Latvian passport and a man from Belarus holding a Russian passport were involved in planning the attack in early August, the outlet reports.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the attempted attack was professionally planned and carried out with "a high degree of technical expertise and significant organizational effort."
"The findings obtained so far point to individuals who acted on behalf of Russian state agencies," Dobrindt said, describing them as "low-level agents."
German prosecutors are investigating the case of two suspects, one of whom has links to Russian intelligence. He is a Latvian citizen of Russian origin.
He reportedly entered Germany in late July through Berlin’s BER Airport and then traveled to Leipzig in a rental car. Two days before the failed drone attack, the suspect left Germany again.
At the crime scene, investigators also found DNA traces that led them to the second suspect. He entered the country on an Italian tourist visa and holds both Belarusian and Russian passports.
Case details
Investigators are skeptical about whether the suspects can be brought to justice.
Meanwhile, experts from Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office believe the attackers planned to use more drones in the attack than previously thought.
Three devices, either intact or in parts, were found.
What Moscow says
Russia denies any responsibility.
In a statement, the Russian Embassy in Berlin cynically described the incident as a hastily planned provocation.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that on September 1, Germany officially accused Russia of a hybrid drone attack on Leipzig Airport. Berlin is closing the Russian consulate in Bonn, terminating an agreement concerning the Russian House and pushing for new EU sanctions.
It was also reported that on the night of August 5, a drone carrying explosives was found at Leipzig Airport near a Ukrainian An-124 cargo aircraft, prompting the airport to temporarily suspend operations.
In addition, an FPV drone struck the most vulnerable part of the aircraft’s wing, where the fuel tanks are located. This indicates that the attack was targeted.
