Kallas plans new sanctions talks after Russian drone sighting in Leipzig
The meeting of EU foreign ministers will take place in Wicklow, Ireland, in an informal format. According to Kallas, one of the main topics will be the situation surrounding the Russian drone with explosives that appeared at Leipzig Airport. The ministers will discuss how Germany and the EU should respond.
Separately, the EU foreign ministers will discuss further strengthening sanctions pressure on Russia.
Kallas recalled that the European Commission is now preparing 1,600 new additions to the sanctions list. These include people and companies directly linked to Russia's military-industrial complex.
"Perhaps even more will be added," the EU's top diplomat said.
At the same time, Kallas noted that the meeting in Wicklow is informal, so that no decisions will be made. Instead, the ministers will hold discussions and work to coordinate their next steps.
Background
On the night of August 5, authorities suspended operations at the airport in Leipzig, Germany, an important logistics hub for transporting Western aid to Ukraine, after detecting a drone near a Ukrainian transport aircraft.
German outlets WDR, NDR, and Süddeutsche Zeitung, citing a confidential police report, claimed that the Ukrainian An-124 was carrying ammunition that had recently been delivered from France to Leipzig and was then supposed to be transported onward. On July 7, Germany's Interior Ministry denied this information. Video from the scene shows that at 7:30 p.m., the drone flew directly toward the Ukrainian aircraft, struck one of its wings, bounced off, and fell to the ground.
Later, Bild, citing its own sources, reported that investigators had found DNA traces on the drone discovered near the An-124 aircraft. They matched a case involving arson at a DHL logistics center in Leipzig in 2024.
On September 1, the German government officially blamed Russia for the incident at Leipzig Airport in early August. At the time, a drone carrying explosives crashed into a Ukrainian aircraft but did not explode. In response, Berlin announced the closure of a Russian consulate and several other measures.
At the same time, Russian leader Vladimir Putin said Germany accused Russia of involvement in the drone incident near the Ukrainian aircraft in Leipzig because, he claimed, the German chancellor "does not have public trust." He said the accusations were linked to the "domestic political situation." According to Putin, in Germany, "businesses are closing, people are losing jobs, and living standards are falling."
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4 of September 2026
