Leipzig Airport Drone: Russia Rejects Germany’s Claims, Demands Evidence

Russia has rejected allegations that it was responsible for a drone incident at Leipzig Airport in Germany, describing claims linking the aircraft to Moscow as unsubstantiated and politically motivated.

The Russian position was conveyed in a statement issued on Thursday, September 3, 2026, by the country’s Chargé d’Affaires in Nigeria, Igor Ivannikov, and shared with diplomatic correspondents in Abuja.

According to the statement, Germany has not provided sufficient technical evidence or findings from an independent investigation to establish that the drone was of Russian origin.

Ivannikov argued that identifying the drone based on its appearance was not enough to determine where it came from, particularly without details such as its flight parameters, control frequencies and an examination of the wreckage.

He also noted that similar drones are manufactured in different countries and are commercially available, making it difficult to establish their origin solely through visual identification.

The Russian diplomat further accused Germany of adopting what he described as a biased approach to the incident, claiming that Berlin had not proposed a joint investigation with Moscow to establish the facts surrounding the case.

Russia also criticised measures reportedly announced by Germany following the incident, including restrictions affecting Russian diplomatic and cultural institutions, describing them as disproportionate to an incident that Moscow said had not been fully investigated.

The dispute follows Germany’s announcement that it had attributed an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport to Russia. German authorities said the drone found near Ukrainian cargo aircraft was carrying explosives and that its configuration and other components were consistent with patterns associated with previous Russian operations.

Moscow, however, has strongly rejected the allegation and accused Berlin of using the incident as a pretext to escalate tensions and further damage relations between the two countries. Russia has also vowed to respond to what it considers hostile actions.

The Russian statement further criticised Germany’s military support for Ukraine, accusing Berlin of supplying weapons to Kyiv while simultaneously presenting itself as committed to peace.

Ivannikov questioned Germany’s position on European security and so-called hybrid threats, arguing that Berlin’s support for Ukraine was contributing to the broader conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Russia also accused Germany of deliberately portraying Moscow as the main threat to European security while overlooking its own role in supporting Ukraine.

The latest exchange has added to growing diplomatic tensions between Russia and Germany following the Leipzig Airport incident. While Germany maintains that its security assessment points to Russian involvement, Moscow continues to deny responsibility and insists that the allegations have not been supported by convincing evidence.