Lavrov Calls Leipzig Drone Accusations 'Start of Real War' — SkimNews
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- Sergei Lavrov told state news agency TASS on Sunday that the West's accusations over the Leipzig/Halle Airport drone incident amount to 'the start of a real war,' escalating Moscow's response beyond its earlier denial.
- Lavrov singled out Chancellor Friedrich Merz, claiming his push to make Germany 'the leading military power in Europe' is being put into practice and that Merz is 'in effect, declaring war on us.'
- The German government said on September 1 it had concluded Russia was responsible for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month and ordered a series of countermeasures.
- Germany imposed specific measures in response, including ordering the closure of a Russian consulate and a Russian cultural centre in Berlin.
- Russia has dismissed the German accusations as baseless, accusing Berlin of planting evidence to frame Moscow for the attack.
- Leipzig/Halle Airport in Schkeuditz saw explosives experts examine a drone found near a runway on August 5, 2026, after a DHL cargo aircraft hit an unknown object while climbing away from the airport.
Why it matters: Germany moved concretely on September 1 — concluding Russian responsibility for the Leipzig drone and ordering closure of a Russian consulate and cultural centre in Berlin. Lavrov's leap from denying a single incident to declaring 'real war' rhetoric narrows diplomatic space, as Moscow now pairs evidence denial with maximalist framing of Merz's rearmament push, leaving little room for technical de-escalation.
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