Swedish government summons Russian ambassador over Leipzig drone incident

Sweden is summoning Russia’s ambassador after Germany publicly blamed Moscow for a drone incident at Leipzig airport, a rare accusation that has triggered a coordinated response from Stockholm.

A drone carrying an explosive device was discovered on Aug. 4 near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig airport. The airport serves as a military transport hub for Ukraine. The incident provoked strong reactions and was described as one of several suspected hybrid attacks on German soil that Russia is believed to have carried out.

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Russia will continue to escalate its destructive hybrid attacks if we do not give clear responses.

Germany said on Tuesday that it would summon Russian diplomatic personnel, close its consulate general and tighten entry requirements for Russian citizens. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he would summon Russia’s ambassador, while Sweden’s national security council would also address the incident.

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Russia believes it can frighten us so that we do not support Ukraine. That will not work.

Kristersson said the sabotage could have had “devastating consequences” and argued that Russia was taking greater risks because its economy was performing poorly and it could not win on the battlefield. Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer said the government had analyzed several threats from Russia, including activity by embassy personnel operating under diplomatic cover.

Defense Minister Pål Jonson said Sweden’s capabilities remained strong. “Russia will continue to escalate its destructive hybrid attacks if we do not give clear responses,” he said, adding that Moscow’s attempts to frighten countries into withholding support for Ukraine would not succeed. Jonson said NATO’s Article 5 was not relevant because Germany had described the incident as a hybrid attack rather than a state of war.

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The sabotage could have had devastating consequences.