EU vows to unload sanctions on Russia after Germany airport probe

Russian envoys have been summoned by the European Union (EU) foreign ministers just one day after Germany accused Moscow of being behind the August 4 explosive-laden drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport.

The foreign ministers are also reportedly drafting fresh sanctions.

Meeting in Wicklow, Ireland, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, told reporters the incident carried “all the hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism.” 

On September 1, Germany stated that Russian operatives were behind the failed attack, in which a drone rigged with explosives was found close to a runway and a Ukrainian cargo plane before a bomb squad defused it.

What Germany found at Leipzig

The Leipzig/Halle airport has served as a European base for Ukraine’s Antonov transport jets since Russia’s 2022 invasion. Also, NATO and the German military both use the freight hub. 

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the drone’s configuration, components, explosives, and ignition technology matched hardware seen in other Russian hybrid operations. He called the build “professional,” adding that it showed a high degree of technical skill.

On the moves Germany plans to take, Wadephul confirmed that they would close the Russian consulate in Bonn from September 18. He also stated that Germany would terminate the lease on the Russian House, a Berlin cultural institute that officials suspect operates as a Kremlin propaganda outlet.

There would also be tighter entry checks for Russian nationals and added pressure on Moscow’s oil shadow fleet.

Moscow rejects the accusation

So far, Russia has denied planning any role in the August 4 attack. Its Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Berlin had produced no evidence and had escalated relations “under a completely far-fetched” pretext. 

President Vladimir Putin also branded the German measures “a grave mistake” that “clearly runs counter to the interests of the German people,” while Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko warned Moscow “will respond as we deem necessary, when we are ready for it.”

Before the latest development around the airport incident, Russia was reported to have quietly sent home roughly 20 diplomats from Brussels to meet an EU-imposed cap of 40 staff at its mission, a deadline set by Kallas over what she called Moscow’s “abuse of diplomatic power.”

Where the crypto sanctions fit in

Kallas said EU ministers agreed to keep working on measures against roughly 1,600 individuals and entities tied to Russia’s military industry, with adoption hoped for next month. 

France’s Jean-Noël Barrot summoned Russia’s envoy in Paris and pushed to blacklist more shadow-fleet vessels.

Russia’s digital-asset rails are a recurring line item in that effort. The EU’s 21st package, adopted July 23, hit more than 100 banks and crypto operators alongside over 40 shadow-fleet tankers. It also froze the Russian oil price cap at $44. 

That round also introduced a first-ever power to bar crypto services across an entire third country, aimed at Belarus, after the bloc watched the sanctioned exchange Garantex resurface within months as a near-identical clone called Grinex.

Russia’s own “digital currency” law took effect on September 1, legalizing crypto as an investment asset. This is relevant to Brussels, as Russia’s move makes crypto a settlement tool for cross-border trade that helps Russian firms sidestep fiat restrictions imposed over the war in Ukraine.

It is not yet known what the EU will do regarding crypto as it connects to Russia, but there are chances that a new package will target the sector. 

What Europe is still fighting over

While Kallas said that there is a “broad consensus” to ban visas for Russians who fought in Ukraine and to tighten limits on tourists, there are still levers that not everyone is yet on board with.

One of them is the long-running push to tap frozen Russian central bank assets, worth around €200 billion ($235 billion). Belgium, where much of the money sits, fears legal liability and has resisted.

Lithuania’s Kestutis Budrys said Russia “does not see the political cost” of its hybrid campaign, while NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte pledged “full solidarity” with Germany.

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