Lavrov calls Germany's response to Leipzig drone incident 'the beginning of a real war'
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described Germany's reaction to a drone found near a Ukrainian An-124 cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport as 'the beginning of a real war,' after Berlin officially accused Moscow and shut down the last Russian consulate general and the 'Russian House' in Berlin. Germany had formally blamed Russia for the August 5 incident in early September; Russia announced the closure of branches of the German Goethe-Institut in response.
Key points
- In the night of August 4–5, a drone equipped with explosives and a detonator was found near a Ukrainian An-124 cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport; CCTV footage shows it struck a wing and fell to the ground without detonating.
- On September 1, 2025, the German federal government officially accused Russia of the attempted attack.
- Germany closed its last Russian consulate general, in Bonn, and terminated the agreement on the 'Russian House' in Berlin; Russia responded by announcing the closure of branches of the German Goethe-Institut.
- Lavrov accused Chancellor Friedrich Merz of effectively deciding 'to declare war on Russia' and claimed 'metastases of Nazism' are breaking through in Europe.
- The An-124 likely belongs to the Ukrainian Air Force, according to Die Zeit; Leipzig/Halle is an important logistics hub for Western military aid to Ukraine.
- Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said there were no casualties and Ukrainian aircraft were undamaged; an August 25 joint investigation reported three drones were involved in the attack attempt.
Why it matters
Germany's official attribution of the Leipzig drone attack to Russia marks a major escalation: a NATO and EU state has directly accused Moscow of sabotage on its territory, targeting a key logistics hub for Western military aid to Ukraine. Russia's framing of Germany's diplomatic response as 'the beginning of a real war' signals a further deterioration in Russia-Germany relations beyond the Ukraine conflict. The reciprocal institutional closures — Russia's consulate in Bonn, the 'Russian House' in Berlin, and the Goethe-Institut branches — represent a significant downgrade in bilateral ties.
What happened
In the night of August 4–5, a drone equipped with explosives and a detonator was discovered a few meters from a Ukrainian An-124 Ruslan cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany. CCTV footage shows the drone flying at the aircraft around 19:30, striking one of its wings, ricocheting, and falling to the ground; the explosive device did not detonate. Airport operations were suspended, and the drone was neutralized by a remotely controlled robot. The same night, a cargo plane unable to land due to the closure collided with another object several hundred meters above the airfield. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry reported no casualties and no damage to Ukrainian aircraft. On August 6, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the incident was not amateur work and a foreign state could be involved. On September 1, 2025, the German federal government officially accused Russia. Germany subsequently closed its last Russian consulate general, in Bonn, and terminated the agreement on the 'Russian House' in Berlin; Russia announced the closure of branches of the German Goethe-Institut in response. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Germany's reaction 'the beginning of a real war,' accused Chancellor Friedrich Merz of effectively declaring war on Russia, and drew a parallel to pre-World War II diplomatic closures.
How international sources describe it
German media, U.S. officials, and the German government have converged on attribution to Russia, though they diverge on details of the operation. WDR, NDR, and Süddeutsche Zeitung, citing a confidential police report, reported the An-124 was carrying ammunition recently transported from France; an August 25 joint investigation by the same outlets reported that three drones were involved. American officials told The Wall Street Journal the explosive-equipped drone likely belongs to the Russian government. Bild, citing its own sources, reported DNA traces on the drone matching the 2024 arson attack at the DHL logistics center in Leipzig.
Where reporting differs
Whether the Ukrainian An-124 was carrying ammunition is disputed. WDR, NDR, and Süddeutsche Zeitung, citing a confidential police report, say the aircraft was loaded with ammunition recently transported from France for onward shipment. The German Interior Ministry and the German government officially state there were no munitions on board.
Background
Leipzig/Halle Airport has served as an alternative logistics hub for transporting Western military cargo to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion. On August 6, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the incident was not the work of amateurs and a foreign state could be involved, before Germany officially accused Russia on September 1, 2025. An August 25 joint investigation by NDR, WDR, and Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that three drones were involved in the attack attempt, suggesting the strike was larger than initially reported. American officials told The Wall Street Journal that the explosive-equipped drone likely belongs to the Russian government.