German Chancellor Friedrich Merz looks on as he speaks during the 2027 budget debate during a plenum session of the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, in Berlin, September 9, 2026. REUTERS
BERLIN, Sept 9 (Reuters) – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday that an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle airport had been prepared in Russia over an extended period and that a disaster was only narrowly averted.
“This attack was planned in Russia for months and was specifically targeted at Germany, and only by pure chance was major material damage and harm to people prevented,” Merz told the lower house of parliament.
Merz spoke after the far-right Alternative for Germany scored a major victory in a state election in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, running on a platform that includes calls for closer ties with Moscow.
Russia has rejected any involvement in the drone incident at Leipzig airport, and its foreign minister has said these accusations were “the start of a real war”.
Reporting by Ludwig Burger and Matthias Williams, writing by Kirsti Knolle, editing by Thomas Seythal
