--- title: "Merz Promises to Uncover the Organizers of the Drone Sabotage at Leipzig Airport" description: "German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has commented for the first time on the attempted drone sabotage at Leipzig/Halle Airport, promising to soon name the organizers. The investigation has identified three UAVs carrying explosives." date: 2026-08-25T11:30:20.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/merz-drone-sabotage-leipzig-airport-investigation tags: [germany, drone-attack, leipzig-airport, friedrich-merz, hybrid-warfare] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Merz Promises to Uncover the Organizers of the Drone Sabotage at Leipzig Airport ![Friedrich Merz at CDU press conference promises to uncover organizers of drone attack on Leipzig airport](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/25/merts-o-sledstve-diversii-dronami-v-aeroportu-leypciga/merts-o-sledstve-diversii-dronami-v-aeroportu-leypciga-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Merz has officially commented for the first time on the sabotage at Leipzig/Halle Airport and promised to soon name the organizers. - The investigation identified three drones: near the An-124, near a DHL cargo plane, and in a field with 50 g of hexogen and a control antenna. - German media report indirect evidence against Russian intelligence services; Moscow denies the allegations. - The incident is pushing Berlin to expand the BND's powers and strengthen the protection of civilian infrastructure. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has officially commented for the first time on the attempted sabotage at Leipzig/Halle Airport. Ahead of the government's off-site session at Neuhardenberg Palace, he stated that Berlin, together with the intelligence services, is conducting an intensive investigation and that the organizers of the attack will be named "in the near future," promising the perpetrators "strict accountability." Earlier, on August 7, Merz convened the national security council in response to the incident. ### What investigators have found According to the BKA and the Federal Prosecutor's Office, several drones were used in the operation. The first drone, carrying a Semtex charge, was discovered on August 4 near a Ukrainian Antonov Airlines An-124 military transport aircraft; a second one collided in mid-air with a DHL cargo plane; a third was found in a field near the village of Kabelsketal, where forensic experts recorded traces of 50 grams of hexogen, and a camouflaged control antenna was found on a tree in the village of Kurzdorf. Experts note that the detonator of the first charge failed to trigger for technical reasons, but its power would have been sufficient to destroy the aircraft's wing. ### Contradictory data The publications Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR and WDR, citing sources in security structures, report indirect evidence pointing to the involvement of Russian intelligence services in coordinating the sabotage. Moscow denies these allegations. Thus, the fact of the attack and the course of the investigation have been confirmed, while the attribution of responsibility remains at the level of indirect data and official denials. ### Political consequences The incident is increasing pressure on the government: the head of the Lower Saxony Interior Ministry has demanded the deployment of the Bundeswehr for air defense and electronic warfare around civilian airports and ports. In the corridors of the Bundestag, discussions are underway on expanding the BND's powers for offensive cyber operations and preventive sabotage abroad, as well as on the possible closure of the "Russian House" cultural center in Berlin. Merz summed up: "We are not at war, but we no longer live in peace." ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Drones at Leipzig Airport: German Chancellor Promises Prompt Results of the Investigation into the Attempted ...](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B0/20260825-%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%8B-%D0%B2-%D0%B0%D1%8D%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%82%D1%83-%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%B9%D0%BF%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B3%D0%B0-%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%80-%D1%84%D1%80%D0%B3-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%B5%D1%89%D0%B0%D0%BB-%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%B5-%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B7%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8B-%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BF%D1%8B%D1%82%D0%BA%D0%B8-%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B8) - Подтверждает первое официальное заявление Мерца и обещание скоро назвать организаторов (дата публикации 25.08.2026). - [Bild: Merz States That Evidence Exists After the Drone Attack on Leipzig Airport](https://news.rambler.ru/world/56958588-bild-merts-zayavil-o-nalichii-ulik-posle-ataki-dronov-na-aeroport-leyptsiga/) - Подтверждает наличие улик по итогам атаки дронов и позицию канцлера. - [Drone with Explosives at Leipzig Airport: Merz Convenes the National Security Council](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B0/20260807-%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BD-%D1%81%D0%BE-%D0%B2%D0%B7%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%B2%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B9-%D0%B2-%D0%B0%D1%8D%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%82%D1%83-%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%B9%D0%BF%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B3%D0%B0-%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%86-%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BB-%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9-%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82-%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8) - Подтверждает первое официальное заявление Мерца и обещание скоро назвать организаторов (дата публикации 25.08.2026). ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What happened at Leipzig/Halle Airport? **A:** On August 4, an attempted sabotage was carried out using several drones carrying explosives: one was found near the An-124, a second collided with a DHL cargo plane, and a third was discovered in a field with 50 g of hexogen and a control antenna. ### Q: What did Chancellor Merz say? **A:** Merz officially commented on the incident for the first time, stating that the investigation is being conducted jointly with the intelligence services and that the organizers will be named "in the near future," while the perpetrators will face strict accountability. ### Q: Who is suspected of organizing the attack? **A:** German media, citing sources, report indirect evidence against Russian intelligence services; Moscow denies these allegations, so the attribution has not been officially confirmed.