Sergey Lavrov: Western accusations over Leipzig drone are “beginning of a real war”
Lavrov said accusations of Russian involvement in the Leipzig airport drone incident amount to “the beginning of a real war” and accused Chancellor Friedrich Merz of declaring war on Moscow.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today that Western accusations that Moscow was involved in the drone incident at Leipzig airport “constitute, in essence, the beginning of a real war.”
Lavrov directly blames German rhetoric
Lavrov framed the accusations as an escalation and tied them to recent statements by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. He argued that a change in Berlin’s posture is being translated into concrete actions.
“All those statements by Merz about turning Germany again into the leading military power in Europe — they are being implemented in practice. He, in fact, declares war on us,” Lavrov said, referring to Chancellor Merz.
The remarks came amid heightened tension after a drone-related incident at Leipzig airport and Western claims that Moscow played a role. Lavrov presented the accusations as crossing a red line and described them as tantamount to a declaration of hostilities.
His comments underscore a further deterioration in rhetoric between Moscow and Western capitals over the episode, raising the prospect of deeper diplomatic fallout if accusations and counter-accusations continue.
Lavrov’s statements place the dispute squarely at the level of strategic confrontation, signalling that Moscow views recent allegations not simply as criticism but as a direct challenge to bilateral relations.
Photo: Гети)
