Sprengstoff-Drohne in Leipzig: Medwedew: Deutschland verdient direkte Angriffe

Russian national security council vice-chairman Dmitri Medvedev threatened Germany with retaliation over sanctions following the discovery of a bomb-laden drone at Leipzig/Halle Airport. In a Telegram post, Medvedev, known for his blunt comments, warned that Germany should face "direct strikes on all German military technology production sites," including defense manufacturers supplying Ukraine and other unspecified locations in Berlin.

He accused German authorities of fabricating the airport incident, insisting there was no evidence to support it. Medvedev branded the current German leadership as "neo-Nazi" and "extremely Russophobic." Russia views the non-explosive drone incident as a "provocation" to aid Ukraine. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Foreign Minister Johann Gauweiler (both CSU/CDU) blamed Russia for the drone incident and threatened retaliatory measures, including closing the Russian consulate in Bonn and canceling the contract for the Russian House in Berlin.

Russia responded by announcing counter-sanctions, potentially including the closure of German consulates and the St. Petersburg General Consulate. Medvedev also threatened retaliation if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky follows through on his threat to target German airports. He warned European leaders that their financial support for the Ukrainian government funds ongoing terrorist attacks against Russian infrastructure, including railway systems.

Putin warned Ukraine against "state terrorism" and financing attacks on Russian territory, emphasizing that Ukraine uses Western military aid to build drones and missiles to strike Russian targets as part of a defensive counter-offensive. Zelensky had previously threatened the "de facto" closure of Russian airspace due to Ukrainian drone attacks, warning all airlines of dangers throughout Russia.