German intelligence agencies are convinced that Russia is behind the drone incident in Leipzig, according to Spiegel

German security agencies have little doubt that Moscow may be behind the drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport. At the same time, the German government is refraining from directly accusing Russia in public due to a lack of conclusive evidence.

Following the incident, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, who cut short his vacation in Italy to return home, spoke of a possible “hybrid attack scenario.”

According to him, this refers to a covert operation that could have been organized by a foreign state, though he did not name a specific country.

The reason for the government’s cautious stance is that there is currently no absolute certainty regarding Russia’s involvement.

At the same time, according to Spiegel, German intelligence agencies have almost no doubts about a Russian connection. Other theories are being considered but are deemed significantly less likely.

“If the suspicion is confirmed, the German government will be forced to respond. An immediate NATO investigation into this case is the least that can be done; more decisive steps will likely follow,” the publication notes.

According to investigators, a quadcopter carrying explosives collided with a Ukrainian transport plane.

It is possible that it briefly landed on the plane before crashing. A piece of the drone was later found on the wing of the Antonov, near the fuel tanks.

If the explosive device had detonated in that area, the consequences could have been devastating. However, it appears the detonator failed to activate.

Investigators are particularly concerned that no one noticed the drone for more than four hours, and the airport’s detection system failed to detect it.

According to Spiegel, the quadcopter was equipped with two SIM cards and was controlled via a mobile network.

In theory, this allowed operators to control the drone from anywhere in the world using video goggles.

Ordinary civilian drones can be detected using radio frequency sensors, and specialized electronic jamming systems can block their signals.

However, in the case of the drone in Leipzig, such measures would likely not have produced the desired result. To detect the quadcopter in a timely manner, the airport would have needed specialized radar equipment.

Such a system was hastily installed at the airport’s observation deck after the drone carrying explosives was detected.

The situation at Leipzig Airport served as yet another warning to Germany regarding the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to drones.

As Spiegel notes, most German airports and other potentially vulnerable facilities are only partially prepared to counter such threats.

If a Russian connection to the case is definitively confirmed, the incident could have not only criminal but also serious political and security consequences for Germany and NATO.