German security services have revealed scandalous details about the thwarted Russian sabotage operation at Leipzig/Halle airport, in which Bulgaria turns out to be a key part of the logistical route for explosives trafficking. According to an investigation by the authoritative German publication “Welt am Sonntag“ (welt.de), secret documents from the investigation indicate that the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) is directly behind the preparation of the attack. The case is part of an escalating campaign of hybrid sabotage against critical European infrastructure, as the German government publicly accused Russia of the attempted attack in early September. Moscow, for its part, categorically denies any involvement in the incident. [1, 2]
Identified perpetrators and the Bulgarian logistics trail
German investigators have identified the suspects through DNA traces - Russian citizen Oleg Le. (allegedly a GRU logistician) and Belarusian Andrei Ka.. Although the authorities in Berlin had information about the Russian agent's ties to intelligence, he entered from Turkey and later left the country unmolested via Berlin-Brandenburg Airport for Serbia. The data indicates that 1.8 kilograms of plastic explosive passed through Bulgaria and Serbia in the cavities of trucks, then was buried near the airport. The locations were revealed through GPS analysis of a rented car. [1, 2]
Attack target and security measures
The target of the planned drone sabotage was a Ukrainian cargo plane carrying 25 tons of kerosene at the key logistics hub for military supplies Leipzig/Halle. An explosion did not occur due to a technical defect in the detonator, and the incident is the third such incident in the region in a month, causing measures to be tightened. Full information and details on the topic can be found in the indicated sources of “Welt am Sonntag“, BGNES, BNR and the Bulgarian media. [1, 2, 3]
Sources: Investigation by “Welt am Sonntag“ (welt.de), BGNES (bgnes.bg), BNR (bnr.bg) and publications in the Bulgarian media (nova.bg, btvnovinite.bg).