Germany identifies 3rd suspect in Leipzig airport drone plot: Reports

German investigators have identified a third suspect in last month's attempted drone attack on a Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig Airport, media reports said Tuesday.

The suspect is another Belarusian national, public broadcasters NDR and WDR reported, citing people familiar with the federal inquiry. Details of his alleged role have not been made public.

The finding expands a case in which German authorities have already focused on two other men with ties to Russia -- a 54-year-old Russian-born holder of a Latvian passport, identified in the reports as Oleg L., and Belarusian national Andrei K., who also holds a Russian passport.

Investigators believe Oleg L. acted as a logistician and instructor, according to the reports. He entered Germany in late July via Berlin Brandenburg Airport, traveled to Leipzig in a rental car, and left the country by air from the same airport two days before the Aug. 4 attempt.

NDR, WDR and the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported that Oleg L. has been in contact for nearly 20 years with Russian military intelligence officer, Col. Denis Smoljaninow, a sabotage specialist placed on the EU sanctions list in October 2024.

Andrei K. came into focus after DNA traces were recovered from one of the drones, an explosives-filled tin can, and an antenna fixed to a tree near the airport, according to reports.

Database matches in Lithuania and Finland pointed to the Belarusian suspect, who has prior criminal records in several countries, according to the reports. He entered the Schengen area on an Italian tourist visa issued in late April at an Italian diplomatic mission in Minsk.

Germany officially blamed Russia on Sept. 1 for the attempted strike and announced sanctions. Russia's Ambassador to Germany Sergey Nechayev rejected the charge as unproven and absurd. I

In a statement after Berlin's announcement, he called the Leipzig case a fabricated provocation meant to serve Kyiv and Europe's “militarist wing.” He also warned that Germany's measures marked a sharp escalation and would not go unanswered.