Germany ‘wants war again’, Russia FM says, dismissing drone accusations
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Germany of wanting war again following Berlin's allegations that Russia was behind a drone attack on Leipzig airport. The diplomatic rift has escalated with the closure of cultural centers and the expulsion of consular staff.
Why it matters
This rhetoric signals a significant deterioration in Russia-Germany relations, heightening tensions in the ongoing European conflict.
Germany “wants war again”, the Russian Foreign Minister said in an interview published on Sunday (September 6, 2026), dismissing Berlin’s accusation that Russia was to blame for a drone attack on Leipzig airport.
The German government blamed Moscow for the incident, saying Russia sent “low-level agents” for an attempted “hybrid attack” involving an explosive-laden drone at the strategic airport in eastern Germany.
Moscow and Berlin closed each other’s cultural centres this week, with EU countries summoning Russian envoys.
“This is, by and large, the start of a real war. They expelled the consulate general from Bonn. They’re closing the Russian House (cultural centre) in Berlin. I remember that before the start of the Second World War... They want war again,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a state TV reporter.
He accused Germany of Nazism and said, “The Russian leadership will draw the appropriate conclusions.”
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