How a failed attack in Leipzig revealed a wider Russian campaign of attacks

On August 4, a Ukrainian aircraft at Leipzig Airport in Germany suffered an attack when a drone struck the wing and released a bomb. The explosive device, packed in a tin can, remained intact, providing investigators with valuable evidence. This was not the first such bomb found in Europe; two years prior, a bomb disposal team in Lithuania recovered a plastic bag containing two cans filled with explosives.

Additional explosive-filled cans were discovered in Lithuania in 2025, all stamped with circular indentations and highly likely manufactured by the same machine.

Western security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggest that the devices at Leipzig and the Lithuanian caches are part of a broader Russian intelligence campaign. The similarity in designs and recent evidence such as travel records and logistics routes link these incidents to a coordinated Russian effort. German and European officials believe this campaign is being orchestrated by Russia's GRU military intelligence service, specifically Unit 29155.

The aim is to disrupt military support for Ukraine and increase the political costs of backing Kyiv. The Russian Embassy in Berlin denies any involvement in the sabotage incidents in Europe. However, German authorities suspect a dual Latvian-Russian national named Oleg Levushkin of helping prepare the Leipzig attack. Investigators believe Levushkin traveled to Berlin on July 31 to prepare the operation.

He allegedly rented a car in Turkey and arrived in Berlin via Bulgaria and Serbia, where the explosives were transported in truck cavities. Russian military intelligence connections, particularly with GRU Colonel Denis Smoljaninov, also point towards a coordinated effort.