NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed solidarity with Germany following the attempted hybrid attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, accusing Russia of seeking to divide the alliance and weaken Western support for Ukraine.

Speaking in Berlin on Thursday alongside German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Rutte praised Germany's response to the incident and said NATO allies stood in solidarity with Berlin.

“This is exactly how NATO works: one for all, and all for one,” Rutte said.

Rutte: We will continue supporting Ukraine

Rutte said Russia was trying to undermine NATO's unity and prevent further support for Ukraine.

“Russia wants to divide us, but we remain united,” Rutte said, adding that NATO would continue providing support to Ukraine.

He argued that Russia's actions showed that Moscow had failed to achieve its objectives in Ukraine.

Rutte also said NATO was taking measures against Russia's shadow fleet and would continue protecting critical infrastructure, including through its presence in the Baltic Sea.

Germany blames Russia for Leipzig incident

The German government has formally attributed the August 4 attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport to Russia.

German authorities said investigations, the pattern of the operation and intelligence findings pointed to Russian involvement. A drone equipped with explosives was found near Ukrainian aircraft at the airport.

Berlin has since announced measures including the closure of the Russian Consulate General in Bonn, tighter entry controls for Russian citizens and increased pressure on Russia's shadow fleet.

Russia has denied involvement and rejected Germany's accusations.

The incident has intensified concerns among NATO members over Russia's alleged use of sabotage, espionage, disinformation and other hybrid tactics against European countries. On Thursday, Reuters reported that NATO allies had also thwarted a suspected Russian operation targeting undersea communications infrastructure near Svalbard earlier this year.(ILKHA)