Germany accuses Russia of Leipzig airport attack, moves to close Russian House in Berlin and consulate in Bonn

German officials have formally blamed Russia for a hybrid attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport last month, where a drone with a detonator was discovered near a Ukrainian transport plane on August 5. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announced on September 1 that Germany would respond to the incident by closing the Russian House in Berlin and Russia's consulate general in Bonn.

The German government concluded that Russia is responsible for the attack, based on police investigations, attack patterns, and intelligence findings. Foreign Minister Wadephul stated that the incident should not be viewed in isolation, but as part of a series of hybrid actions, and that Russia's leadership has deliberately worsened relations.

Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova vowed a standard response from Moscow, accusing Berlin of inventing a pretext and participating in terrorist attacks against civilians. The Russian House in Berlin, officially known as the Goethe-Institut of Russia, has been linked to the Russian House through a Russian-German intergovernmental agreement.

Russian officials suggested that the Goethe-Institut could be closed as part of the reciprocal response.