Diplomatic protest in Warsaw

The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Russian Ambassador Georgy Mikhno to its Warsaw headquarters on Szucha Avenue on 3 September 2026. Polish officials delivered a formal protest against Russian state terrorism and escalating hybrid operations in Poland and across other European nations. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maciej Wewiór stated that the summon was an act of solidarity with Germany following findings of sabotage operations. Polish diplomats also expressed opposition to repeated military provocations near Polish airspace, noting that Russian military planes operate without identification transponders, violating safety standards and endangering civilian aviation.

“In the face of hostile actions by the Russian Federation, the allies stand together.”

The Leipzig drone investigation

The diplomatic action followed formal findings released by German security authorities regarding sabotage attempts at transport infrastructure. On the night between 4 and 5 August 2026, flight operations at Leipzig/Halle Airport were halted when ground crews discovered an armed drone carrying explosives and a detonator near a Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft. Around the same time, an airborne transport aircraft collided with an unidentified object near Leipzig and diverted to Hannover with minor damage. Ten days after the initial incident, a second drone with traces of military-grade hexogen was found in a field in Kabelsketal, roughly five kilometres from the airport. Police also discovered an antenna, blast marks, and debris from a third drone in a forest near Kursdorf between the runways, leading German investigators to link the equipment to Russia's GRU military intelligence.

Retaliatory closures and Russian response

Following the Leipzig investigation, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announced on 1 September 2026 that Germany would close the Russian Consulate General in Bonn and the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin. German authorities had also investigated an attempted sabotage of the power grid in Bergheim, where electricity supply remained stable despite the incident. Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected the German findings as fabricated, while Russian authorities ordered the closure of Goethe-Institut branches in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressed the closures in comments reported by state media.

“Germany has branches of the Goethe-Institut here: in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg. Naturally, they will be closed after our cultural centre was expelled from there. Otherwise we will not respect ourselves.”

Statements from Weimar and Warsaw

Polish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski addressed the escalation from a Weimar Triangle foreign ministers meeting in Weimar, Germany. Sikorski stated that the alliance would not tolerate hybrid aggression against critical infrastructure or national borders.

“We do not agree to unpunished testing of our borders and hostile actions on our territories. There is no consent for arson, attacks on railways, murders and other provocations. Poland also summoned the Russian ambassador to express our firm condemnation of state terrorism authored by the Russian Federation.”

Upon departing the foreign ministry building in Warsaw, Georgy Mikhno told reporters that Polish authorities had presented no evidence connecting Moscow to the incidents in Germany or Poland.

“The Russian side firmly rejects the completely baseless, absurd and contrary to common sense accusation.”