Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has expressed Greece’s full solidarity with Germany following the attempted drone attack on Leipzig, posting his statement on platform X. The Greek Prime Minister stressed that attempts to intimidate democracies will not succeed, adding that “we remain steadfast and will maintain credible deterrence to protect our citizens and our security.”
Read also: Von der Leyen: Strong response and new sanctions against Russia following hybrid attack on Germany
Mitsotakis’ post in full
The full text of Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ post reads: “Greece stands in full solidarity with Germany following the Russian hybrid attack in Leipzig. Attempts to intimidate our democracies will not succeed. We remain steadfast, and will maintain credible deterrence to protect our citizens and our security.”
Greece stands in full solidarity with Germany following the Russian hybrid attack in Leipzig. Attempts to intimidate our democracies will not succeed. We remain steadfast, and will maintain credible deterrence to protect our citizens and our security.
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) September 1, 2026
Attributing responsibility
The German government has now officially attributed the attempted explosive drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport to Russia, simultaneously announcing a series of measures against Moscow, including the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that German authorities concluded that Russia was behind the August 4th attempted attack. “We conclude that Russia is responsible for the hybrid attack in Leipzig on August 4th,” Dobrindt said, noting that the incident fits an already well-established pattern of “Russian hybrid operations.” “We assume that Germany will be the target of further hybrid attacks by Russia,” the German Interior Minister warned.
Timeline of events
The incident had triggered a security alert among German intelligence services in early August. The drone was detected on the evening of August 4th near a Ukrainian aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport. It was found to be carrying explosive material and a detonator, but was neutralized before it could detonate. The airport is of particular strategic significance, serving as one of Europe’s major air cargo hubs as well as a critical NATO military logistics center.
The facility also hosts Ukrainian Antonov An-124 heavy transport aircraft, which are used for carrying large military payloads. The severity of the incident had already prompted the convening of the German National Security Council on August 7th, chaired by Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The German government had described the discovery of the explosive-laden drone as an incident representing “a new quality of threat.”
Von der Leyen’s strong response
The European Union has also firmly sided with Germany. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen revealed via a post on X that she had spoken by phone with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. During the call, she expressed the EU’s full solidarity with Germany, emphasizing that Europe remains united in the face of these serious and escalating challenges.
The Commission President simultaneously sent a stern message to Moscow, stressing that hybrid attacks will not go without a clear and decisive response. She noted that Russia’s attempts to sow fear and distrust within European societies will ultimately fail, and reiterated the EU’s unwavering support for Ukraine.
