Germany weighs blaming Russia for drone attack in Leipzig — Politico
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (photo: Getty Images)
Germany readies itself to officially blame Russia for an attempted drone attack in Leipzig and impose direct sanctions on Russian entities, Politico reports.
What measures Berlin plans
Chancellor Friedrich Merz is preparing to hold Russia responsible for the attempted drone attack in Leipzig and announce "extensive" sanctions. This would mark another toughening of Berlin's stance toward Moscow.
The government's plan calls for direct measures against Russian entities, alongside new sanctions being prepared in Brussels. Three officials told Politico and Welt am Sonntag about the plans on condition of anonymity.
The announcement is planned for early next week, coinciding with an EU foreign ministers' meeting in Ireland on Tuesday, although it could come earlier, depending on Merz.
According to one official, it is no longer enough to expel individual diplomats or close the Russian House in Berlin in response to the incident.
Stronger steps are needed—tougher sanctions or even larger arms deliveries to Ukraine. The sources did not disclose details of the specific measures under consideration.
It remains unclear how far Berlin is prepared to go in holding individual Russian officials or the Russian government accountable. At the same time, Germany is preparing for a sharp response from Moscow and, according to officials, must be ready for retaliatory measures.
Merz's reaction
On August 25, Chancellor Merz said the incident in Leipzig would have serious consequences, although he did not identify a specific party responsible.
"The drone attack in Leipzig, among other things, shows that we are also facing very real threats. The federal government is making the perpetrators of hybrid attacks pay a price. They will pay for this," he said.
In response to a request for comment from Politico, a government spokesman said the chancellor's office does not engage in speculation and that only an official attribution of responsibility based on the results of an investigation matters.
New EU sanctions package
Meanwhile, the EU is preparing another comprehensive package of sanctions against Russia. It is expected to be discussed at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Wicklow, Ireland, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
One diplomat says 1,600 sanctions targets—800 individuals and 800 Russian companies—are currently under consideration. The sanctions are expected to be adopted in mid-October.
Another diplomat adds that the use of frozen assets belonging to Russian state-owned banks is once again being discussed.
This is a long-term process that would require Belgium's approval. Belgium has long opposed the idea. Most of the frozen EU reserves of Russia's central bank are held at the Brussels-based Euroclear, and the government led by Bart De Wever fears retaliatory steps by Russia.
As previously reported, a drone carrying explosives was found in early August near a Ukrainian An-124 cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
US intelligence linked the incident to Russia's military intelligence agency, while Merz promised to identify everyone involved. Earlier, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, during a visit to Moscow, warned Russia against escalating tensions with NATO.
