Ursula von der Leyen and Mark Rutte accused Russia of becoming increasingly reckless in its attacks on Europe The heads of Nato and the European Commission have warned Russia is growing increasingly reckless and vowed to respond to a "new normal". "Leipzig marks a new escalation on European Union soil directly attributed to Russia," said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a day after Germany blamed Russia for a failed drone attack on Leipzig airport.
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance, which includes the US, stood "in full solidarity with Germany". Russia rejects accusations it targeted a Ukrainian cargo plane on 4 August with an explosives-laden drone. It has responded to new German sanctions by saying it will close Germany's Goethe-Institut cultural centres in Russia. The drone was defused by a robot at Leipzig/Halle airport and a second drone is thought to have collided with another cargo plane.
A third drone was reportedly found 10 days later at the airport, which is an important Nato hub and is regularly used by Ukrainian Antonov transport aircraft. It was not until Tuesday that the German government said police investigations and intelligence finding had proved that Russia was behind the incidents. The interior minister said that the drone's configuration, components, explosives and detonator were all known from other Russian hybrid operations.
Two suspects have reportedly been identified in the Leipzig attack, including a Belarusian with a Russian passport who entered on a tourist visa, and another with Latvian and Russian passports who arrived by plane in Berlin and flew out two days before the failed attack. The Russian House in Berlin is to close as part of Germany's response to the Leipzig incident