EU summons Russian envoy over failed Leipzig drone attack

The European Unions's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday that she summoned Russia's envoy in Brussels over the alleged attempted hybrid attack involving an explosives-laden drone at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month.

Germany's foreign and interior ministers said in a joint press conference on Tuesday that the government in Berlin had concluded that Russia was responsible for the failed attack, reinforcing suspicions that arose as soon as the news broke in August.

Kallas says incident has 'all the hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism'

"We are discussing the Leipzig attacks, and also it is clear that it has all the hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism," Kallas said ahead of an informal gathering of EU foreign ministers in Ireland.

"The question is, what do we do about this? We have already summoned the Russian ambassador," she said.

The former Estonian prime minister also said that the EU was continuing its work on its next package of some 1,600 sanctions listings related to Russia's war in Ukraine and said "maybe there is more to be added."

France takes similar step, summoning charge d'affaires

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot also told reporters in Dublin that Paris was summoning a Russian ambassador in response.

"I have summoned the Russian charge d'affaires in Paris to protest," Barrot said, adding that sanctions should be taken at a European level, notably against Russia's so-called shadow fleet of ships.

Non-EU foreign ministers from Ukraine, the UK, Canada, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland also traveled to Ireland to attend Wednesday's informal talks.

Germany's Wadephul says 'pressure on Russia is being stepped up'

German Foreign Minsiter Johann Wadephul told reporters that the EU would continue to work on additional sanctions "in the coming weeks."

"Pressure on Russia is being stepped up and support for Urkaine also remains at a high level. That is the unity we are demonstrating at this time," he said.

The Christian Democrat politician said that Russia had chosen to escalate, and "must now live with these consequences."

He also defended Tuesday's announcement in Berlin, calling the government's response a "necessary and proportionate" one based on a "well-founded opinion and verdict."

What did Germany say about its investigations?

Wadephul and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced in a joint press conference on Tuesday that the federal government in Berlin held Russia responsible for the failed attack.

"Taken together, police investigations, patterns of the crime and intelligence findings substantiate Russian responsibility for the attempted attack at Leipzig Airport," Dobrindt said on Tuesday, without going into specifics.

Wadephul said that the "means used — drone configuration, components, explosives and detonation systems — are known to us from other hybrid operations by Russia and its war against Ukraine."

Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have rejected the allegations and accused Germany of fabricating its version of events.

Leipzig/Halle Airport is a key freight hub. Ukrainian airline and aircraft manufacturer Antonov uses the airport as a base of operations, frequently transiting material to Ukraine via the the eastern German city.

Edited by: Zac Crellin