Germany has blamed Russia for a drone incident at Leipzig airport, as authorities across Europe investigate a series of fires, alleged arson plots and other suspected sabotage cases involving defence and military-linked facilities.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said Russia was responsible for the discovery of drones carrying explosives at Leipzig airport, which is used to transport military goods for Ukraine. Germany described the episode as part of a wider pattern of Russian “hybrid operations” in Europe. Moscow has rejected the allegation, with President Vladimir Putin demanding evidence and Russian officials calling the accusation absurd.
The first drone was found at Leipzig on 4 August. Later that month, incidents were reported in Bulgaria, Italy, Estonia, Slovakia and Poland. While some governments or affected companies have blamed Russia, several investigations remain open and authorities have not established that every fire was deliberate.
Series of investigations
On 10 August, a major fire broke out at a factory run by Bulgarian defence company EMCO. Initial accounts said a truck caught fire during a fuel delivery. Three days later, a blaze at an ammunition facility outside Rome caused a major explosion; local prosecutors opened an investigation into negligent disaster involving unidentified people, while Italian media reported that possible outside involvement was also being examined.
In Estonia, a fire damaged the Milrem Robotics plant in Tallinn on 15 August. The Kyiv Post has reported that the company supplies drones to Ukraine. Two people were arrested, and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said investigators were treating the possibility of Russian sabotage seriously.
Slovak police said on 25 August that they had prevented a planned arson attack against a Ukrainian-owned drone manufacturer, seizing what they described as a large quantity of incendiary mixture. Three suspects were detained and police said they had been acting on orders. The company blamed Russia. In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said arson could not be excluded after a fire at a helicopter-components producer in Lublin, while describing an apparent incendiary-device attack on drone maker WB Group as a continuation of Russia’s escalating activity.
The reported pattern extended into September, when two Bulgarian nationals were arrested in Munich on suspicion of throwing incendiary devices from a car at a defence company. German media also cited a federal police report listing more than 165 suspected sabotage cases nationwide this year, without identifying who was responsible.
Concerns over a wider campaign
Analysts cited by the BBC said the recent concentration of cases involving military-related sites was unusual. Daniela Richterova of King’s College London linked the increase to pressure on Moscow from Ukrainian strikes inside Russia, arguing that sabotage could be intended to pressure European governments over military assistance to Kyiv. Germany is described as Ukraine’s largest supplier of military aid after a slower initial response.
Keir Giles of Chatham House said Russia may also be testing Nato countries’ vulnerabilities and their willingness to respond. Previous suspected operations have often involved proxies recruited online, rather than Russian operatives directly, according to the report. Researchers at the International Institute for Strategic Studies have compared such recruits to inexpensive, expendable tools that can be deployed in large numbers.
Experts warned that even limited acts could create a risk of unintended escalation, particularly if an incident caused mass casualties or disrupted aviation. Questions remain over which cases are connected, who is responsible for individual incidents and how Nato should respond to a sustained campaign of smaller attacks.
Source: BBC News
