According to a report by TASS on September 6, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the Vesti program that the accusations against Russia regarding the drone incident at Leipzig-Halle airport "are essentially the beginning of a real war."
Lavrov said, “A drone was found at the Leipzig-Halle airport. They claimed it was Russian, but no one bothered to investigate. This is essentially the beginning of a real war. They expelled our consulate general in Bonn and announced the termination of related agreements. The ‘Russian House’ in Berlin is also being closed down. I remember that before World War II—more precisely, before the Great Patriotic War—the Germans also closed down their diplomatic missions.” These words from the Russian foreign ministry official were quoted on the Vesti website.
Lavrov added, “In addition, German Chancellor Merz’s statement about ‘making Germany once again the leading military power in Europe’ is being implemented. Essentially, he is declaring war on us. The lessons of history have not been learned at all. It seems that hidden neo-Nazism is beginning to emerge. This is a dangerous phenomenon, and I believe the Russian leadership will reach the appropriate conclusions.”
It is reported that in August this year, a drone armed with explosives was found near the runway at Leipzig-Halle Airport in Germany. Subsequently, on September 1st, the German government stated that it had determined that Russia was responsible for the attempted drone attack. German Foreign Minister Johann Waltraud said that Germany’s response measures included closing the Russian Consulate General in Bonn and terminating the agreement with the Russian House Cultural Center in Berlin.
On September 2, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the German chargé d'affaires in Moscow and denied the German allegations that Russia was involved in drone attacks. The ministry stated that these allegations were "entirely fabricated." In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Berlin is deliberately engaging in open provocation, aiming to escalate tensions between Russia and Germany. The actions of German authorities will be met with resolute countermeasures."
In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin also criticized the German government, saying that they 'intentionally portray Russia as an enemy, in order to divert German public attention away from domestic difficulties and the declining support for their ruling party.'
