German authorities have identified two suspects in connection with an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport last month, according to new reports. One Russian national from Belarus and a Russian-born Latvian national are suspected to have been responsible, according to the newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung , which collaborated on ‌the report with broadcasters ‌NDR and WDR. It underpinned allegations by the German government, which believed that Russia had been behind the incident, resulting in a series of orders being issued in response including the closure of a consulate and a Russian cultural centre in the country. Russia's foreign ministry summoned Germany's charge d'affaires in Moscow on Wednesday to reject what it called "entirely fabricated" accusations that Russia was behind the attempted attack. “Berlin has deliberately engaged in a blatant provocation aimed at escalating tensions in Russian-German relations. The German authorities' actions will be met with a firm response,” the ministry said in a statement. German chancellor Friedrich Merz reiterated Berlin’s support for Ukraine in the aftermath of the warning, with a government spokesperson saying: “The chancellor emphasised that Ukraine can count on the resolute continuation of Germany's civilian and military support.”A police officer in protective clothing walks next to an explosive-disarming robot (EOD) at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Schkeuditz, Germany, August 5, 2026, after the police said explosives experts examined a drone found near a runway, and after a DHL cargo aircraft hit an unknown object as it was climbing away from the airport overnight, prompting an unscheduled landing in Hanover, according to a source familiar with the incident. (Reuters)Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chair of Russia’s security council wrote on Telegram that Germany’s leadership “deserve a direct strike on all German military equipment production facilities ... and quite possibility on several other locations in Berlin as well”.He ominously added: “Every terror has sponsors. At the moment, these are the heads of Western countries, primarily European ones. And they often travel to Kyiv by train...”On Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin dismissed the accusations as baseless and accused Berlin of planting evidence to frame Russia. Putin went further to accuse German chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government of trying to diver attention away from its domestic problems and declining approval ratings. He alleged that Berlin sought to paint Russia as a hostile state. “The Russian ambassador categorically rejected the accusations levelled by Berlin as unsubstantiated, absurd and contrary to common sense,” said foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Tuesday. “He pointed out that the measures announced by the German side represent an unprecedented escalation in Russian-German relations and will not remain without consequences, for which the German government will bear full responsibility.”Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte delivers a press statement before a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at EU headquarters on September 2, 2026, in Brussels, Belgium. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte met in Brussels to discuss European security following Germany’s claim that Russia was behind the drone attack targeting Leipzig Airport last month. (Getty)Nato secretary general Mark Rutte welcomed Germany’s response, saying the evidence pointing towards Russian responsibility “was clear”.“Nato will continue to strengthen our ability to deter and defend all Allies against any threat – including malign actions like those seen in Leipzig and elsewhere across the Alliance,” he wrote on X after a call with Chancellor Merz. “Russia’s attempts to intimidate us, to undermine our unity and our willingness to support Ukraine are futile and will fail. Our support to Ukraine is unwavering, as is our ironclad commitment to Nato’s collective defence.”Mr Rutte is due to meet with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to discuss the issue on Wednesday. The EU’s top diplomat said that the drone incident had the “hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism”. She added: “Attempts to intimidate Europe will fail.”Germany is now expected to push the European Union for additional sanctions and travel restrictions on Russian nationals. The incident on 5 August was brought to light when airport workers discovered the drone in a restricted cargo area near the southern runway and in the immediate vicinity of a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane.The runway was closed while specialists examined the object using explosives-disposal technology and several aircraft had to be diverted from the airport as a result of the incident.