MOSCOW (Dispatches) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sunday called accusations against Russia over a drone incident at Germany’s Leipzig Airport “the beginning of a real war.”
In an interview with the Vesti media outlet, Lavrov stressed that “no one bothered to investigate” who the drone belonged to.
“This is basically the beginning of a real war,” he said.
“I remember that before the start of World War II, or rather the Great Patriotic War, the Germans also closed their diplomatic missions,” he added, citing Germany’s decision to close the Russian Consulate General in Bonn and the Russian House in Berlin.
Lavrov said, “this kind of game is absolutely unacceptable,” adding, “they want war again.”
He also called German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s statements about his government’s goal to build the EU’s strongest army “a dangerous phenomenon, adding, “I believe Russian leadership will draw the appropriate conclusions.”
“He’s essentially declaring war on us. And the lessons of history have not been learned at all,” he said.
On Tuesday, Germany officially blamed Russia for the attempted drone incident at Leipzig Airport near Ukrainian cargo planes and announced extensive sanctions against Moscow. The measures include closing the Russian Consulate General in Bonn by Sept. 18, ending a 2011 German-Russian agreement on cultural centers, and forcing the closure of the Russian House in Berlin. Germany also ordered staff and their families to leave Russia as soon as possible.
Germany is also planning a broad package of measures to strengthen its defenses against drone attacks, cyber intrusions after a failed airport drone attack last month, an interior ministry spokesperson said on Sunday.
According to the ministry spokesperson, police mobile drone defense capabilities would be expanded under the plan, with rapidly deployable counter-drone units stationed in cities to protect the airspace above critical transport hubs and government districts.