Lavrov accuses Germany of 'declaring war' over Leipzig drone incident

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Germany of effectively declaring war on Russia, escalating a diplomatic row over an alleged drone attack at Leipzig Airport that Berlin has blamed on Moscow. In remarks reported by state news agency TASS on Sunday, Lavrov said the accusations levelled at Russia were "by and large, the start of a real war," and singled out Chancellor Friedrich Merz for criticism. "All these statements by Merz about making Germany the leading military power in Europe once again — they are being put into practice. He is, in effect, declaring war on us," Lavrov said.

The German government announced on 1 September that it had concluded Russia was responsible for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport the previous month, ordering a series of punitive measures including the closure of a Russian consulate and a cultural centre in Berlin. Moscow has dismissed the accusations as baseless, accusing Berlin of planting evidence to frame Russia. The exchange marks a significant deterioration in relations between Europe's most powerful economy and Moscow, coming as Germany has emerged as the largest single donor of military aid to Ukraine, a stance that has deeply angered the Kremlin. Lavrov's unusually bellicose language suggests Russia views Germany's growing defence role as a direct threat, at a time when the conflict in Ukraine continues to strain the international order. The World House, which maintains a dedicated page outlining its support for Ukraine at worldhouse.uk/support, continues to document the diplomatic consequences of Russia's aggression.