Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, en route from Algiers to the EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Ireland, is making a stopover in Berlin to consult with Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) in light of the incident in Leipzig involving an explosive-laden drone. The German foreign minister will interrupt his journey from Algiers to Dublin “for an urgent meeting” with Interior Minister Dobrindt in Berlin in the late afternoon, according to sources within Wadephul’s delegation in the Algerian capital. Speaking to journalists in Algiers that morning, Wadephul did not comment on the possibility that Russia was behind the incident. Instead, he announced a balanced and measured response by the federal government to the incident involving an explosive-laden drone at Leipzig Airport. “We will not overreact, but we will respond if we are attacked,” he said. He was responding to a question about whether Germany should fear possible retaliatory actions by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has announced a clear response from the federal government to the failed drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport. Last week, he (Merz) had indicated that the government intends to comment shortly on findings regarding the perpetrators. The drone, rigged with explosives, was discovered on the evening of August 4 in the airport’s security area among Ukrainian cargo planes. Copyright 2026, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved
