Lavrov calls Germany's Leipzig drone response 'start of war'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Germany's response to the drone incident at Leipzig airport "the beginning of a real war" in comments aired Sunday, September 6. He criticized Berlin for expelling consulate staff and closing the Russian House without proper investigation. Germany concluded Russia was responsible based on drone settings and components linked to other hybrid incidents, according to Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. The August 4 incident involved an attempted attack on a Ukrainian An-124 cargo plane, with multiple drones reportedly involved. Conservative foreign policy expert Jürgen Hardt said the evidence chain leaves "no reasonable doubt" of Moscow's guilt, given Russia's refusal to cooperate with the investigation.