Germany's last Russian consulate shutters early after Leipzig Airport drone incident

The diplomatic facility wrapped up its operations on September 1, beating a September 18 eviction deadline set by German authorities. Berlin had ordered the expedited closure immediately following the Leipzig Airport drone incident.

The Russian Embassy announced that all scheduled consular appointments have been canceled as a direct result of the German government's eviction order.

Because the Bonn office was Russia's last remaining consulate general in Germany, Russian citizens living in the country will now have to travel to the Russian Embassy in Berlin to receive any consular services.

On September 1, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt formally blamed Russia for an August 4 foiled drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, explicitly linking the explosives-laden device to Moscow’s ongoing hybrid warfare operations.

The Leipzig Airport drone incident

A drone rigged with a detonator and explosive material was discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany on August 5. The airport has served as a base for Ukrainian Antonov aircraft since 2022. The drone was found on the runway near a Ukrainian An-124 Ruslan cargo plane.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on August 6 that the incident did not appear to be the work of amateurs and that a foreign state could be involved.

Media reports had suggested the An-124 was loaded with ammunition, but Germany's Interior Ministry denied this.

U.S. officials familiar with intelligence on the incident told The Wall Street Journal that the explosive-laden drone likely belonged to the Russian government.

German outlets NDR, WDR, and Süddeutsche Zeitung reported in a joint investigation that three drones were involved in the attempted attack on the Ukrainian An-124 cargo plane in Leipzig, and that the intended strike was larger in scale than previously reported.