Names of Serbs Linked to Leipzig Attack Released

Two men arrested near Serbia’s border with Hungary in June are now being examined for possible links to the failed drone attack at Leipzig airport, according to Germany’s Der Spiegel, which cited security sources.

Serbian police stopped two vehicles on June 11. One carried Danilo B., who holds Serbian and Russian citizenship, and Serbian citizen Slobodan D. Police reportedly found components for a modified drone and control systems in the first vehicle. In a concealed compartment in the second, they found cans filled with explosives.

Der Spiegel reported that both men were heading toward Hungary and the European Union. They have remained in pretrial detention since June. German authorities are investigating possible links to suspects in the Leipzig case, including a Belarusian citizen and a Lithuanian-Russian dual national. One Leipzig suspect also reportedly traveled through Serbia and Istanbul to Russia.

The case has renewed scrutiny of Serbia’s role in European security investigations. European intelligence services reportedly describe the country as a hotspot for Russian sabotage operations in Europe and for recruiting and training personnel for Russian intelligence agencies.

The German government recently accused Russia of ordering the failed attempt to attack a Ukrainian cargo aircraft loaded with ammunition at Leipzig/Halle airport in early August. Germany responded by closing Russia’s consulate in Bonn and the Russian House, a former Soviet cultural center in Berlin. The Kremlin has rejected any connection to the Leipzig case and later closed the Goethe-Institut in Moscow and Germany’s consulate in St. Petersburg.