Germany tells Russia to decide on future ties after drone blame

Germany responded to Russia's hybrid attack by holding Moscow responsible for the drone incident at Leipzig airport, a German Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, reacting to Sergey Lavrov's claim that the accusation marks "the beginning of a real war." Deputy press secretary Josef Hinterseher stated Germany reacted "consistently and calmly" and that Russia must decide what relations it wants with Germany and the EU. He noted Lavrov's remarks came on election day in Saxony-Anhalt, where the far-right AfD party won. The German government defended its attribution process, saying it followed thorough investigations and intelligence information, similar to the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage case, which German prosecutors attributed to Ukrainian state authorities by July 2026.