Merz Vows Perpetrators of Leipzig Drone Attack Will Pay as Third Device Found

His comments came as German media reported that investigators had found a third drone and suspected military explosives believed to be connected to the attempted attack. The device was discovered in Kabelsketal, just west of the airport, on Aug. 14, along with about 50 grams of a suspected military explosive, according to broadcasters NDR and WDR and the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. Leipzig airport is a cargo and military logistics hub used by NATO and Ukraine's Antonov Airlines for transporting military supplies.

The office of the prosecutor general, which is leading the investigation, declined to comment Tuesday. Merz said the government would soon provide information about who it believed was behind the drone attacks. "They will pay for this," he said, stopping short of naming a suspect, before a cabinet meeting in Brandenburg. He added that the government was "working intensively on this together with the security authorities and we will present our findings and comment on them shortly."

Intelligence sources cited by NDR, WDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung said they suspected Russian intelligence involvement in the attempted attack. Moscow denied involvement. The German government has so far avoided taking a clear position on whether it thinks Russia or an actor close to it is responsible.

Merz said the attempted attack showed that Germany was increasingly becoming a target. "Attackers are increasingly ruthlessly accepting even serious property damage, and even injuries and deaths," he said Tuesday.

A drone carrying explosives was found on Aug. 4 near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane used for military supplies. According to investigators, the drone was apparently intended to land on the wings of the aircraft, which was filled with kerosene, but the explosive device did not detonate. About 20 minutes later, a second drone possibly collided with a DHL cargo plane, which was forced to abort its landing and was diverted to Marseille. An inspection of the DHL aircraft revealed damage to the tail section, suggesting a collision with an object, but the drone has not been found. Investigators believe it could have been sucked into the engines and shredded into small pieces.

The third drone was found in a field in a municipality that directly borders the western edge of Leipzig airport. Forensic technicians from the federal criminal police office found residues of a substance that initial assessments indicated could be the highly explosive hexogen. That explosive also failed to detonate, but the investigators' report, according to the media reports, stated: "The perpetrators may have had a far larger attack in mind than previously known to the public."

Other suspicious traces and components were also discovered close to the airport, the report said. In Kursdorf, investigators found an antenna attached to a tree and other electronic parts that may have been used to control the drones. Nearby, where witnesses reported hearing a loud bang on the day of the incident, investigators discovered a burnt patch and charred metal parts. German officials said that if the drones had exploded, they could have caused a catastrophe.