German security officials reportedly suspect Russian GRU agent helped plan failed Leipzig airport attack

German security officials reportedly suspect a member of Russian military intelligence helped plan an attempted “hybrid attack” involving an explosive-laden drone at an airport last month.

According to the Welt Am Sonntag newspaper, the officials believe a Russian called Oleg Le, from the GRU intelligence agency, was the logistics coordinator for the Leipzig airport plot.

The paper also says authorities have identified a second suspect, a Belarusian national named Andrei Ka.

These findings formed the basis for Berlin’s decision to blame Russia for the incident and announce measures including the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn and a Russian cultural center in Berlin, the paper says.

Russia has denied any involvement.

Investigators believe that Le arrived in Germany from Turkey and departed to Serbia from Berlin airport, and is now thought to be back in Russia, the report says.

Direct flights between Russia and Germany have been suspended since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Authorities knew at the time of his arrival that Le had links to the GRU, but he was not placed under surveillance after entering the country, the Welt says.

It says they identified the suspects from traces of DNA found at the airport.

The explosives used in the incident could have been brought to Germany hidden in trucks via Bulgaria and Serbia, the report says.

The drone was discovered late on August 4 in the secure cargo operations area at Leipzig airport, near a Ukrainian cargo plane. The airport serves as a hub for transporting military goods.

A spokeswoman for Germany’s BfV domestic intelligence agency tells AFP that she cannot comment on the report “due to the ongoing investigation.”

Germany, a key supporter of Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion, has faced a surge of sabotage, cyberattacks and other plots, with suspicion usually falling on Moscow.