Germany has faced cyberattacks, sabotage attempts, and disinformation operations in recent years, for which Russia is held responsible. The explosive-laden unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) found at Leipzig-Halle Airport on August 4, in particular, has taken Berlin's accusations against Moscow to a new stage.

German authorities claim that Russia has resorted to sabotage activities targeting critical infrastructure and military facilities, in addition to cyberattacks and disinformation.

Government officials drew attention to Russian intelligence activities in Germany. However, Russia's involvement has not yet been proven in some incidents.

In May 2015, the information systems of the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag) were subjected to a large-scale cyberattack. A significant portion of the Parliament's IT infrastructure remained unusable for days due to this attack.

The German government announced that the APT28 group, linked to the Russian military intelligence service GRU, was behind the attack.

It was claimed that with Russia's launch of the war in Ukraine in 2022, Germany became the target of extensive disinformation operations.

It was claimed that a coordinated disinformation campaign was carried out starting in May 2022. As part of this, fake news was published by imitating the websites of German media organizations such as Spiegel, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Bild, Welt, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and Tagesspiegel.

Fake accounts, manipulated videos, and altered versions of political statements were used on social media. It was argued that attempts were made to influence public opinion on issues such as Ukraine, energy prices, migration, and trust in the German government.

In April 2024, two German-Russian dual nationals were detained on suspicion of preparing sabotage on behalf of Russian intelligence. This incident showed that accusations against Moscow extended to preparations for physical attacks.

It was alleged that the suspects planned actions that could target Germany's military support to Ukraine. Reconnaissance was reportedly carried out at military facilities and the US military training center in Grafenwöhr.

In July 2024, a package catching fire at the DHL cargo center at Leipzig-Halle Airport took the sabotage discussions in Germany to a new dimension.

A self-activating incendiary device was found inside the package. Following similar packages causing fires in the UK and Poland, it was assessed that the incidents could be part of a coordinated sabotage operation.

German security authorities considered the possibility that "low-level agents" used by Russian intelligence might be behind the incidents.

In August 2024, the administrative information systems of the German Air Traffic Control (DFS) were subjected to a cyberattack.

It was announced that the attack did not directly affect air traffic. German authorities attributed the attack to the GRU-linked APT28 group.

It was claimed that this incident was part of a broader Russian cyber espionage campaign targeting government institutions and companies in Germany.

The German government also announced that the cyberattack targeting the leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), its ruling coalition partner, was carried out by APT28.

The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office filed charges against three German-Russian citizens, accusing them of operating on behalf of Russian intelligence.

The defendants were accused of preparing explosive and arson attacks targeting industrial facilities and military infrastructure.

During the investigation, it was alleged that the main suspect discussed sabotage actions in Germany with an individual identified as a Russian intelligence officer.

German authorities also drew attention to the Russia-linked disinformation network called "Storm-1516."

It was stated that fake news websites, artificial images, false witness testimonies, and so-called investigative journalism content were used in the operation.

The German government linked the campaign to Russia. It was announced that the operation aimed to influence the 2025 Bundestag elections and weaken Germany's political stability.

One of the most striking links in the accusations against Russia occurred at Leipzig/Halle Airport.

On August 4, 2026, an explosive-laden UAV was reportedly found near the airport, in an area where Ukrainian cargo planes were located.

The German government announced on September 1 that Russia was behind the incident.

Berlin stated that the incident bore similarities to Russia's previous hybrid operations in terms of method and organization.

This statement became one of the most serious examples where Germany directly held Russia responsible for an attempted physical attack on its territory.

The German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution warned that Russia uses a combination of sabotage, cyberattacks, espionage, political influence operations, and disinformation methods against Germany.

The Office noted that critical infrastructure, the economy, politics, society, science, the military, and digital infrastructure are among the targets of Russia-sourced activities.