Lavrov calls German drone accusations 'beginning of a real war'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Sunday on Russian state television that German accusations against Moscow over a drone found near Leipzig airport mark "the beginning of a real war." Lavrov claimed no one confirmed the drone was Russian, comparing German sanctions, including closing Russia's Bonn consulate and the "House of Russia" cultural center in Berlin, to the start of World War II. An explosive drone was discovered in early August in Leipzig airport's secure cargo zone near Ukrainian aircraft, with a second device reportedly striking a DHL plane without detonating. Germany's government blamed Russian intelligence after weeks of investigation, and German criminal police identified DNA from two Russian passport holders as main suspects in the attempted attack. Lavrov, a decades-long Kremlin figure known for harsh rhetoric, made the remarks amid ongoing tensions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.