After German authorities uncovered an attempted act of sabotage at Leipzig Airport, a Kremlin official contacted a counterpart in the German government and warned that the Leipzig attack would not be Moscow’s last target, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources. The newspaper did not disclose the Russian official’s name.
In August 2026, a drone loaded with explosives was found at Leipzig Airport near a Ukrainian An-124 transport aircraft. Several drones, not just one, were later found to have been involved. On September 1, Germany officially accused Russia of attempting to sabotage the airport. Moscow denies the accusations.
European officials, citing U.S. intelligence, told the newspaper that frustration had grown in Moscow over the summer because neither fighting on the front line nor negotiations with Washington had persuaded Ukraine to accept Vladimir Putin’s demands.
The Russian president personally ordered an intensified campaign of sabotage and covert operations against NATO countries, people familiar with U.S. intelligence findings told the WSJ. After a trip to Moscow, CIA Director John Ratcliffe personally told his counterparts in European intelligence services, as well as a number of politicians, that Moscow is stepping up sabotage operations against their countries.
The WSJ said sabotage-related incidents have risen sharply across Europe since the attempted attack in Leipzig. In August, arson attacks targeted drone manufacturing facilities in Estonia and Poland. That same month, Slovak authorities said they had foiled a planned arson attack on a factory producing Ukrainian drones in Slovakia. In recent weeks, Poland, Lithuania, and Bulgaria have each reported sabotage targeting Starlink ground stations.
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