Moscow dismisses ‘fabricated’ German drone incident claims
Berlin has used a “far-fetched” pretext to further damage bilateral relations, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said
Russia has rejected German claims that it was behind a suspected drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport in early August, dismissing the allegations as a “far-fetched” pretext to further strain bilateral relations.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday that Berlin had failed to provide any evidence to substantiate its claims.
Her remarks came after German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announced new measures against Russia, which they linked to the August 4 incident.
The measures include closing the Russian Consulate General in Bonn from September 18 and terminating the lease of the Russian House in Berlin. Germany will also tighten border controls for Russian nationals, draw up a new list of individuals for EU sanctions, and increase pressure on what Berlin calls Russia’s “shadow fleet.”
According to Dobrindt, the measures were agreed after the German government concluded that Russia was “the perpetrator” of the August 4 incident, in which an explosive-laden drone was discovered in a security zone at Leipzig/Halle Airport near a Ukrainian aircraft.
”The technology [found] on site and the connection of individual elements must be described as professional and indicates a high degree of technical expertise,” as well as “considerable organizational effort in the planning and execution of the attack,” the interior minister said on Tuesday.
Dobrindt argued that the “overall assessment” of the incident means it “fits into the known pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe.”
He did not identify any suspects or present specific evidence linking Moscow to the incident, saying only that “patterns of attack and intelligence findings point to Russian responsibility.” Berlin does not consider the case an “isolated incident,” he added.
