The incidents, which revealed drones loaded with explosives deployed in and near the airport in Leipzig, have been attributed to Russia by German authorities.

They represent a new level of escalation in Russia's hybrid warfare against Europe, some experts say.

Foreign Minister Tsahkna (Eesti 200) stressed that the German authorities' confirmation that the drones carrying explosives and intended to attack a transport aircraft supplying Ukraine clearly demonstrates that Russia is prepared to carry out attacks both in Europe and beyond.

"This is not an isolated incident, but part of Russia's consistent and dangerous pattern of provocations targeting Europe," the Foreign Minister said.

"Russia's aim is to sow uncertainty, undermine unity among Western Allies and divert attention away from supporting Ukraine. We unequivocally condemn Russia's provocations against NATO Allies and support Germany's countermeasures, including additional European Union sanctions," Tsahkna went on via a ministry press release.

Today, MFA Estonia summoned the chargé d'affaires of Russia to deliver Estonia's unequivocal condemnation of last month's drone attack at Leipzig Airport, which German authorities have attributed to Russia.

This attack is part of Russia's sustained and dangerous pattern of…

— Estonian MFA | #StandWithUkraine (@MFAestonia) September 3, 2026

The minister added Russia's stalled invasion of Ukraine reaching a stalemate, exacerbated by domestic tensions and international isolation the regime is facing, have backed Russia into a corner. It is now seeking to divide Western countries through non-military influence operations, he added.

The ministry also condemned Russia's large-scale drone and missile attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, which have increasingly targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure. July was one of the deadliest months of the full-scale war, with 437 people killed and more than 2,610 injured. Last week alone, Russia launched nearly 2,000 drones at Ukraine, targeting civilian areas such as residential zones at a time when children were going back to school.

Three drone incidents occurred at Leipzig/Halle Airport, a key NATO hub for Ukrainian military supplies, on August 4-5. In the first case, a drone carrying 800g of Semtex explosive was found near a Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft after striking its wing. The explosive failed to detonate. In the second case, a Boeing 757 cargo flight was forced to divert to Hanover after minor damage was inflicted by a drone it struck. A third drone carrying 50g of RDX explosive was later found in a field west of the airport.

Germany formally blamed Russia over the incident on Tuesday, calling it a hybrid attack, and ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn and the Russian House in Berlin. Russia has denied responsibility and warned of retaliatory measures, while the EU has announced plans for additional sanctions.

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