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Weeks After Failed Drone Attack, Germany Points Finger at Russia

The country said Moscow was behind an explosive-laden drone found near a Ukrainian plane at a German airport last month. President Vladimir Putin of Russia called the accusation “a grave mistake.”

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By Christopher F. Schuetze

Reporting from Berlin

Sept. 1, 2026

Weeks after an explosive-laden drone was found at a German airport near a Ukrainian cargo plane, the German government has blamed Russia for the incident and announced significant consequences for Moscow, including the closure of a Russian consulate.

Alexander Dobrindt, Germany’s interior minister, said Tuesday that investigators had proof that the drone had been controlled by agents who were working “on behalf of Russian state entities.”

“Taken together, police investigations, patterns of operation, and intelligence findings prove Russian responsibility for the attempted attack,” Mr. Dobrindt said at a news conference. “The federal government therefore concludes that Russia is responsible for the hybrid attack,” he said.

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, speaking at a news conference early Wednesday in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where he was at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, accused the German authorities of planting the evidence. The goal, he said, was to blame Russia for political problems facing Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz.

“The chancellor’s position is difficult domestically,” Mr. Putin said. “He doesn’t enjoy the trust of his citizens, and it’s clear why. Because he’s not defending national interests, but rather selling them out. There are obvious economic missteps. Businesses are closing, people are losing jobs, and living standards are falling.”

Mr. Putin continued: “Given the falling approval ratings and the upcoming election campaigns, including in Saxony, for example, the question of the political future of Germany’s ruling elite naturally arises. I think this is primarily related to this. I think this is another mistake, a grave mistake, and, in my view, it clearly runs counter to the interests of the German people.”

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