Explosive-Carrying Drone at the Airport: Dobrindt Urges Patience

Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) has asked for understanding regarding the federal government’s decision to remain cautious about attributing responsibility for the suspected bomb attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport. “It is not my job to ‘voice suspicions’; rather, my job is first and foremost to gather evidence, to have proof, and then, incidentally, to have considered the consequences and be able to implement them,” he said at Wartburg Castle near Eisenach during his summer tour. To this end, he will consult with Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD), and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) in due course. 

The drone, rigged with explosives, was discovered on the evening of August 4 in the secure area of the Leipzig/Halle Airport among Ukrainian cargo planes. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office described it as a “serious attack on Germany’s transportation and logistics infrastructure.”

From Suspicion to Proof

Russia is currently making it very easy to harbor suspicions, but at the same time very difficult to provide proof, Dobrindt continued. “The chain of evidence must be conclusive,” he added. If proof of responsibility is ever established, then the consequences must be “unequivocal.” Dobrindt asked for understanding, noting that “this will take some time.” Russia’s goal is not to defeat Germany militarily, but “politically and socially.”