The recent incident at Leipzig Airport, in which explosive-laden drones interrupted flights, is the "new normal," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on September 2, vowing more restrictive measures on Moscow.

"Leipzig marks a new escalation on European soil, directly attributed to Russia," she said. "Every loophole Russia exploits is one we must close. We are looking at ways to cut even deeper into Russia's war chest."

Von der Leyen was speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte one day after Germany officially blamed Russia for the August 4-5 drone incident, and as the European Union and several member states summoned Moscow's ambassadors in protest.

"Europeans are faced with a hard truth that this is the new normal," she said.

Rutte said Russia had grown "increasingly reckless," with "more drones and missiles crossing into our airspace along our eastern flank, creating increased risk."

The incident fits a wider pattern that Western governments have publicly attributed to Moscow: a campaign of sabotage and hybrid actions across Europe since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, including arson attacks, drone sightings near military and infrastructure sites, and incidents of GPS jamming in the Baltic Sea region. Western officials have warned that such activities risk triggering NATO's collective-defense commitments under Article 5, which alliance members have so far sought to avoid invoking by responding through diplomacy, expulsions, and sanctions rather than military means.

On September 1, German authorities announced they would close the Russian Consulate in Bonn and terminate the lease on a Russian cultural center in Berlin in response to the attempted drone attack.

France, Belgium, Portugal, and the Netherlands announced on September 2 that they were summoning Russian ambassadors over the incident, and the European Union said it would summon Moscow's representative to Brussels.

Europe Seeks a Response

Alexander Astrov, a political analyst and associate professor at the Central European University in Vienna, told RFE/RL's Current Time that Europe faces the challenge of responding to Russia's actions while remaining within international law.

"How do you respond to what is now being called out as Russia's hybrid actions while remaining within the legal framework?" he asked, noting that the diplomatic steps taken so far are an attempt to do just that.

He added, however, that while "these attacks are part of the broader process of escalation of the war...all sides are interested in ensuring that this escalation remains a controlled one."

Patriots for Ukraine?

Von der Leyen also said Ukraine had made a formal request for PAC-3 Patriot air defense systems following Russia's intensifying attacks on Ukrainian cities and mounting civilian casualties.

"Member states are currently looking at Ukraine's request, but I can say that it is going in the right direction," she noted.

The request underscores a persistent challenge for Kyiv's partners: Patriot batteries are among the few Western systems proven capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, and allied stockpiles are limited, with several European states having already transferred systems or pledged them to Ukraine earlier in the war.

Several EU diplomats, speaking to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity, said Brussels is also pressing other allies such as Japan and South Korea to deliver air defense systems to Kyiv ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month.

Separately, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul was briefing his EU counterparts at an informal gathering in Ireland on September 2, where further sanctions against Russia were under discussion.

With German media reporting that the alleged perpetrator of the Leipzig incident entered the bloc using a Schengen tourist visa issued by Italy, EU foreign ministers also revisited an earlier proposal to curb their use.

Mediterranean countries heavily dependent on summer tourism have previously opposed such a move, even as approvals of Schengen tourist visas for Russian nationals surged last year.

Speaking after the meeting, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said there was "broad support" for the measure but not unanimity.

"Many member states have flagged this before that actually these kinds of tourist visas are used for the sabotage acts because these people need to get into the European Union so, if it is true, I hope that this also convinces certain member states who have been against moving on the visa restrictions," she said.

Ahead of the meeting, the EU's foreign policy corps, the European External Action Service, sent a proposal to EU capitals to impose visa bans and asset freezes on 1,600 Russian individuals and companies largely involved in the country's defense sector, with a view to adopting the measures next month.

The EU is also expected next week to prolong its current blacklist of 3,000 people and entities sanctioned since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Most EU member states want an extension of 12 months rather than the regular six, but Slovakia, whose government is considered Moscow-friendly, is still pushing for a six-month rollover and for some Russian oligarchs to be removed from the list — a reminder that EU sanctions require unanimity among all 27 member states, giving even a single government leverage over the bloc's Russia policy.

By RFE/RL