Medvedev claimed that Berlin must be held accountable for attributing blame to Russia, calling for strikes against German factories producing military hardware for Ukraine.

He also entertained the possibility of strikes targeting other facilities in Berlin. In doing so, Medvedev deployed standard Kremlin rhetoric, accusing Germany’s current leadership of “Russophobia” and reiterating propaganda tropes regarding Ukraine.

He lashed out at Western leaders for backing Ukraine, referencing their rail transit into Kyiv and explicitly hinting at strikes targeting their passenger trains.

Read also: Germany’s last Russian consulate shutters early after Leipzig Airport drone incident

On Sept. 1, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt publicly declared that Russia bears responsibility for the drone incident at Leipzig Airport. Moscow earlier responded sharply to Germany’s decision to shut down the Russian House cultural center and a Russian consulate general, threatening Berlin with retaliation.

Leipzig Airport Drone Incident

Overnight on Aug. 5, an uncrewed aerial vehicle rigged with an explosive charge and detonator was discovered on a runway at Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport, which has served as an operational base for Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines since 2022. The drone was located immediately adjacent to a Ukrainian An-124 Ruslan heavy transport aircraft.

On Aug. 6, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that the incident was not the work of amateurs and indicated foreign state involvement. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that no casualties occurred and that Antonov aircraft sustained no damage.

While media reports claimed the An-124 was loaded with munitions, Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior refuted that assertion.

U.S. officials familiar with intelligence surrounding the sabotage attempt told The Wall Street Journal that the explosives-laden drone likely belonged to the Russian government.

On Aug. 25, a joint investigative report by German broadcasters NDR and WDR alongside Süddeutsche Zeitung revealed that three drones were deployed in the attempted sabotage operation against the Ukrainian An-124 transport plane in Leipzig, indicating the planned strike was intended to be far larger than initially disclosed.