分类： politics

In a sharp rebuke of escalating Russian hostile activity on European territory, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte have formally accused Moscow of growing increasingly reckless, vowing a unified, robust response to what leaders frame as a dangerous new phase of hybrid aggression.

The confrontation was triggered by last month’s attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, a critical NATO logistics hub that regularly hosts Ukrainian military transport aircraft. On Tuesday, the German government confirmed that weeks of police investigations and intelligence assessments conclusively tied the incident to Russia. Three drones were recovered in and around the airport: one was safely defused by a bomb disposal robot, a second collided with a cargo plane, and a third was discovered 10 days after the 4 August incident. German Interior Ministry officials note that the drones’ design, components, explosives, and triggering mechanisms match the signature of other proven Russian hybrid operations across Europe. Authorities have also identified two suspects linked to the plot: a Belarusian national holding a Russian passport who entered Germany on a tourist visa, and a dual Latvian-Russian citizen who flew into Berlin before departing two days ahead of the attempted attack. Moscow has forcefully denied all accusations, claiming Berlin has presented no concrete evidence to support its claims.

In its first formal response to the proven attack, Germany has announced it will shutter the Russian consulate in Bonn and close the Russian House, a prominent cultural institution in Berlin that German security agencies have long suspected of operating as an unregistered Kremlin propaganda hub. The Kremlin has hit back sharply: Russian Foreign Ministry officials have pledged a “mirror-image” retaliatory measure, while President Vladimir Putin condemned Berlin’s actions as a “serious mistake” that directly contradicts the interests of the German people. When asked whether Moscow could cut full diplomatic ties with Berlin, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko acknowledged the possibility remained on the table, but said Moscow would give diplomatic channels a chance to de-escalate first. Some German political critics have argued Berlin’s current response is overly restrained, but German officials note they are prioritizing building a coordinated multilateral response alongside European and transatlantic allies, which could include expanded EU-wide sanctions and tighter entry restrictions for Russian travelers across the 27-nation bloc.

Speaking alongside Rutte in Brussels, von der Leyen emphasized the unprecedented nature of the incident: “Leipzig marks a new escalation on European Union soil directly attributed to Russia. We have to step up and that means being ready to respond to Russia’s recklessness faster and better.” She added that the Leipzig attack is not an isolated event, but part of a growing pattern of increasingly dangerous Russian hostile actions targeting European critical infrastructure, including repeated drone incursions and sabotage attempts. Rutte echoed the condemnation, affirming that the entire 32-member NATO alliance – including the United States – stands in full solidarity with Germany. He noted that alliance members have seen a steady rise in direct malign activity on NATO territory, ranging from arson attacks on factories manufacturing defense equipment for Ukraine to the confirmed hybrid plot in Leipzig.

As EU and NATO leaders met in Brussels, EU foreign ministers gathered in Wicklow, Ireland, to discuss further collective measures. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that European-level action could be targeting Russia’s shadow fleet of oil and cargo vessels that operates to evade existing EU sanctions. Barrot, alongside his counterparts from Belgium and the Netherlands, has already summoned the Russian ambassador in their respective capitals to formally protest the Leipzig attack. Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys pointed out a worrying trend: Moscow has calculated that it faces no meaningful political cost for its repeated hybrid operations against European allies, encouraging further escalation.

In a separate development that adds to heightened security tensions, Germany reported multiple suspected sabotage incidents across the country in just 24 hours, including two separate attacks on electrical substations – one in eastern Germany and a second near Cologne in western Germany. While authorities have not yet attributed these attacks to any actor, Herbert Reul, Interior Minister for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, confirmed the attack on power lines in Bergheim was deliberate, stating that the perpetrators “attacked the entire country.” Reul added that investigators are probing two leading hypotheses: foreign state-directed sabotage and attack by domestic left-wing extremist groups.

Von der Leyen outlined the next steps for the bloc, noting that existing sanctions have already constrained Russia’s war capacity, but EU foreign ministers are currently negotiating new measures to “cut deeper into Russia’s war chest.” The EU has already approved a €90 billion loan package to support Ukraine’s government and military operations, and von der Leyen confirmed that Kyiv has requested additional billions in funding to acquire PAC-3 air defense missiles to protect civilian infrastructure from Russian missile and drone attacks. She also revealed that work is already underway on a joint European-Ukrainian anti-ballistic missile defense initiative, codenamed Project Freyja. Closing her statement, von der Leyen reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of the EU and NATO to supporting Ukraine: “Europe and NATO will not just maintain pressure on Moscow, we will increase it, and we will not stop – not until Russia stops bombing and killing innocent people in Ukraine.”

A cross-party coalition of U.S. legislators is pushing the U.S. Army to justify its controversial order to disband a specialized drone warfare unit based in Europe, a decision that comes amid a global shift in modern combat toward widespread reliance on uncrewed aerial systems.

Established last November, the 600-strong 173rd Airborne Brigade’s specialized drone battalion was designed to develop custom uncrewed vehicles and refine tactics that have already reshaped 21st century warfare: the same drone-centric strategies Ukraine has deployed to devastating effect against invading Russian forces, and that Iran has used to inflict casualties on U.S. troops across the Middle East. Tasked with rapid deployment to any theater where drone capabilities were urgently needed, the unit aligned with broader U.S. military efforts to adapt to rapidly evolving battlefields.

In a public letter shared with The Associated Press on Tuesday, the bipartisan group of four lawmakers laid out stark concerns that eliminating the specialized drone unit will curtail the U.S. military’s ability to glean critical operational insights from frontline allies, most notably Ukraine’s battle-tested armed forces. They argue the move will also slow critical efforts to modernize U.S. drone warfare tactics at the pace required to maintain competitive advantage on modern battlefields.

The letter, addressed to outgoing Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve, requests an in-person briefing to fully unpack the reasoning behind the Army’s decision. Signatories include Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, independent Senator Angus King of Maine, and Republican Representative Mike Turner of Ohio, a rare display of cross-partisan agreement on military policy.

“This specialized unit was a prudent response in a moment when the character of warfare is changing faster than a conventional formation’s ability to adapt,” the legislators wrote in the document. They emphasized that the unit had been operational for less than a year, and they are eager to review the full data, internal analysis, and decision-making process that led to the order to shut it down. Lawmakers also want clarity on whether the decision originated from internal Army leadership or was driven by broader guidance from Pentagon brass.

The order to refocus the 173rd Airborne Brigade back on its core airborne infantry mission was issued recently by LaNeve, who stepped into the role of acting Army chief of staff after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth abruptly removed former Army chief Gen. Randy George from his post in April without any public explanation.

Integrating drone technology into standard Army tactical doctrine was a central policy priority for George during his tenure. Alongside Driscoll, George launched the Army Transformation Initiative last year, a wide-ranging reform plan that centered on rolling out modernized unmanned aircraft systems into standard frontline formations. George, who was appointed to the top Army role by former President Joe Biden, repeatedly emphasized the urgent need to speed development of new drone systems and get these capabilities into the hands of regular infantry soldiers, rather than restricting them to small specialized units.

Driscoll, who announced his resignation earlier this week after 18 months in the top Army civilian role, was a close ally of George and openly supported his drone modernization agenda. Driscoll focused heavily on cutting bureaucratic red tape to allow defense contractors to accelerate drone development and deployment to frontline units. No public reason has been given for Driscoll’s departure, but multiple reports have documented ongoing tensions between Driscoll and Hegseth over policy and leadership priorities.

“We are supportive of the transformative initiatives the Army has taken under Secretary Driscoll’s leadership in this area and would like to see that momentum maintained even as uniformed leadership changes,” the lawmakers wrote in closing.

The original reporting for this story was contributed by Toropin from Nuremberg, Germany.

During a high-stakes 45-minute press conference held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered a sharp, combative display of his stance on the ongoing Ukraine war and escalating tensions with the Western bloc, leaving audiences with deliberate ambiguity over potential military action against the United Kingdom and stark warnings for powers he claims seek to undermine Russia. When pressed by reporters on whether Moscow would target British military infrastructure in retaliation for London’s ongoing military support to Kyiv, Putin offered only two words in response: “That’s a secret. A military secret.”

French President Emmanuel Macron touched down in London on Wednesday for a two-day diplomatic visit that blends 1,000 years of shared history with urgent modern policy discussions, marking his first meeting with the United Kingdom’s newly installed Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

The visit’s centerpiece cultural event is the long-awaited British showing of the Bayeux Tapestry, the iconic medieval masterpiece that chronicles the 1066 Norman Conquest of England. Macron, Burnham, their spouses, King Charles III and Queen Camilla will gather for an exclusive private preview of the 70-meter embroidery at the British Museum, where the artifact will remain on loan for a 10-month public exhibition opening to visitors on September 10.

For a work of such profound historical significance, moving the tapestry from its permanent home in the Normandy town of Bayeux required extraordinary precautions. In a covert, high-security operation conducted in July, the 1,000-year-old artwork was transported to London via a combined road and rail route. This historic transfer marks the first time the tapestry has been located on British soil since it was created in the 11th century, and the piece is insured for a staggering 960 billion euros (equivalent to $1.1 billion). In a reciprocal arrangement, the British Museum will send a collection of its own Viking and Anglo-Saxon treasures to Normandy museums later in the exchange program.

Calling the tapestry’s historic arrival “a landmark moment in the history of our two nations,” Burnham highlighted how the centuries-old artifact embodies the intertwined, complex relationship that has shaped both France and the United Kingdom for a millennium. Stitched from wool thread onto a linen backing, the artwork depicts the chain of events that culminated in the October 1066 Battle of Hastings, where William, Duke of Normandy defeated the army of Anglo-Saxon King Harold II. The Norman invasion brought an end to Saxon rule in England, crowned William the Conqueror as the country’s first Norman monarch, and tied the two nations into the close, often complicated dynamic that endures to this day.

Following the museum event, King Charles III will join Macron for a reception in the British Museum’s Great Court, where both leaders will deliver addresses to an audience that includes British and French officials who organized the loan arrangement, alongside school students from both countries. The historic loan itself was first announced during Macron’s official state visit to the U.K. back in July 2025.

On Thursday, Burnham will host Macron for formal bilateral talks at 10 Downing Street, with policymakers set to tackle a range of pressing modern challenges alongside celebrating cultural and historical ties. According to a statement from Burnham’s office, curbing irregular migrant crossings of the English Channel in small boats will top the meeting’s agenda. U.K. official data shows that expanded joint law enforcement cooperation between the two countries has already cut the number of crossings in 2026 by more than 40% compared to 2025, a trend both leaders are expected to look to build on.

Beyond migration policy, the talks will also cover two major ongoing global conflicts: the standoff between the United States and Iran, and the more than four-year-long Russian invasion of Ukraine. France and the U.K. have spearheaded diplomatic and military efforts to shore up European support for Kyiv, and Burnham has reaffirmed his commitment to sustaining Britain’s long-term backing for Ukraine in its defensive war.

A core priority for the new British prime minister, who took office just six weeks prior to Macron’s visit, is forging closer trade and political ties with the European Union nearly a decade after the U.K. voted to leave the bloc in 2016. Burnham has repeatedly argued that Brexit created what he calls a “decade of low growth” for the British economy, and his visit with Macron is expected to open new conversations about resetting the U.K.-EU relationship after years of strained post-withdrawal negotiations.

BERLIN — German law enforcement and security agencies are launching a full investigation into two separate disruptive incidents at critical power distribution sites across eastern and western Germany, with officials confirming that deliberate sabotage is the leading working hypothesis.

The first incident came to light early Tuesday morning, when explosive devices were discovered at a high-voltage substation adjacent to the Jänschwalde coal-fired power plant in Brandenburg, a state in Germany’s northeast. Authorities confirmed that while no widespread blackout was triggered across the regional grid, a small number of the hidden devices did ignite, causing damaging short circuits that disrupted substation operations.

Half a day later, a second incident unfolded hundreds of kilometers to the west, at the Bergheim power substation near Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. A sudden short circuit knocked multiple high-voltage power lines out of service Tuesday evening, and local investigators have ruled out accidental technical failure as the cause. Police in Essen, which is overseeing the Bergheim case, told Germany’s national press agency DPA that early evidence points to a deliberate, criminal act, echoing the sabotage suspicions in the Brandenburg case. No widespread power outage occurred after this incident either, but utility operator RWE — which runs several coal-fired power stations that rely on the Bergheim substation to distribute electricity — confirmed that five generating units with a total combined capacity of 4,200 megawatts had to be taken offline as a safety precaution. The company expects all units to resume full operations by the end of this weekend.

These two targeted attacks come as Germany already maintains an elevated national security alert, following a recent accusation from the German federal government that Russian intelligence was behind an attempted drone attack loaded with explosives at Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4. This is also not the first time critical German power infrastructure has been targeted by sabotage: in January of this year, suspected left-wing extremist extremists set fire to high-voltage transmission lines near a power plant in southwestern Berlin, causing major grid disruptions.

Brandenburg’s Interior Minister Jan Redmann has warned that foreign involvement cannot be ruled out as a possible motive behind Tuesday’s coordinated attacks. Speaking to local German media, Redmann told DPA, “This is a hybrid threat that we are facing right now, so we cannot rule out the possibility that foreign state actors are behind these actions. All possibilities are on the table for who the perpetrators may be.”

As of Wednesday morning, no group or state has claimed responsibility for either attack, and investigations are still ongoing to identify those responsible and assess any broader threats to Germany’s critical national infrastructure.

BRUSSELS — Top European Union foreign policy official Kaja Kallas has labeled the foiled August drone attack on a major German airport, which German authorities have blamed on Moscow, as a clear act of state-sponsored terrorism, triggering urgent discussions among EU member states about a coordinated, tougher response to Russian aggressive actions on European soil.

The incident, which unfolded at Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4, involved an explosive-laden drone positioned near a Ukrainian cargo plane. German security teams successfully defused the device before it could detonate, with senior German officials noting immediately that the attack represented an unprecedented escalation of dangerous activity targeting European infrastructure. On Tuesday, the German government formally attributed the attempted attack to Russian actors, announcing a suite of retaliatory measures that includes the permanent closure of a Russian consulate on German territory.

Speaking to reporters ahead of chairing a meeting of EU defense ministers in Ireland this Wednesday, Kallas emphasized that the incident bears all the defining characteristics of state-backed terrorist activity. “It is clear that it has all the hallmarks of state sponsored terrorism. The question is: what do we do about this,” Kallas told journalists, opening the door for debate over whether new punitive steps are needed beyond the EU’s existing sanctions regime.

Western officials have long accused the Kremlin of orchestrating a broad campaign of sabotage and disruptive operations across European Union member states, with the explicit goal of weakening continental public and political support for Ukraine amid Russia’s full-scale invasion and destabilizing European institutional and social order.

To date, the EU has rolled out nearly 24 separate packages of economic and political sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, placing roughly 3,000 individuals and legal entities under restrictive measures. The sanctions list includes Russian President Vladimir Putin, pro-Kremlin oligarchs, dozens of Russian legislative officials, major Russian banks and financial institutions, hundreds of vessels linked to the shadow fleet that illegally transports Russian oil to evade export restrictions, and a wide range of companies tied to Russia’s military, energy and drone production sectors. The bulk of these measures consist of travel bans for individuals and asset freezes for both people and entities, and the sanctions list also includes actors from third countries that Moscow has relied on to support its war effort, including Belarus, Iran, North Korea and China.

Kallas confirmed Wednesday that the bloc is already preparing to add even more names to its sanctions registry, with 1,600 additional entries related to Russia’s military industrial complex already in the approval pipeline — a number that could grow further in response to the alleged airport attack.

However, despite growing calls for a forceful response, EU member states remain deeply cautious about taking steps that could draw the bloc into open, direct conflict with Russia, a nuclear-armed power. Analysts note that while the alleged attack has created momentum for a stronger collective response, the bloc is still weighing whether new measures require coordination with NATO, and how far to go to avoid escalating tensions beyond what European capitals are comfortable with.