'Start of real war': Russia accuses Germany of Nazism, rejects drone accusations

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday accused Germany of seeking another war and dismissed Berlin’s allegation that Moscow was behind an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport.On September 1, Germany had accused Russia of orchestrating a drone attack. They stated that their investigation had found Russia responsible for the August 4 incident, in which an explosive-laden drone was found near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft at the airport. Berlin said the attack was part of a wider Russian “hybrid” campaign and announced measures including the closure of Russia’s consulate in Bonn and a Russian cultural centre in Berlin.German interior minister Alexander Dobrindt confirmed that the drone configuration, components, explosives, and detonation systems matched patterns from previous Russian hybrid operations. German foreign minister Johann Wadephul also announced on September 2 that Berlin will push for further EU travel restrictions against Russian nationals and increase pressure on Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers.Calling the latest escalation “by and large, the start of a real war”, Lavrov said Germany “wants war again”, drawing a comparison with the period before World War II. He also accused Germany of Nazism and said the Russian leadership would draw “appropriate conclusions”."All these statements by Merz about making Germany the ​leading military power ⁠in Europe ‌once again – they are ​being ​put into practice. He ⁠is, in effect, declaring war on ​us," Lavrov said, referring to ​German chancellor Friedrich Merz.Moscow has rejected Germany’s accusations as baseless and accused Berlin of fabricating evidence.The dispute has further strained ties between the two countries, with Moscow and Berlin closing each other’s cultural institutions and European countries summoning Russian envoys.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.