Russia denies ownership of drone that crashed at Leipzig Airport

Russia has denied owning the drone that crashed at Leipzig Airport in Germany on August 5, 2026, describing German claims linking the aircraft to Moscow as unsubstantiated.

In a statement issued on Thursday, September 3, 2026, and shared with diplomatic correspondents in Abuja, the Russian Chargé d’Affaires, Igor Ivannikov, said Germany had failed to provide technical evidence or independent investigative findings to support its claim.

Ivannikov accused Germany of taking a biased approach, noting that similar drones could be purchased commercially and were manufactured by different countries.

He also described Germany’s response to the incident as disproportionate, given that the case had not been fully examined.

The statement said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had explicitly stated that Germany could not confirm the drone’s Russian origin but had only concluded that it resembled drones used by Russia.

“The German side has not provided any technical expertise or independent investigative findings. Claims of visual identification of the drone without disclosing flight parameters, control frequencies, or the wreckage do not stand up to scrutiny. Similar equipment is manufactured by various countries and is available on the market,” Ivannikov said.

He further claimed that Germany had not requested a joint investigation with Russia, which he said indicated a biased approach and a lack of genuine interest in establishing the facts surrounding the incident.

“Berlin is once again pursuing a course of baseless provocations, repeating the scenario of the Skripal case,” the statement added.

Russia also drew attention to the fact that the aircraft involved in the incident was transporting munitions to Ukraine.

“Germany is consistently stepping up its military support for the Kyiv regime, supplying weapons used against civilians and striking Russian territory. These actions directly contradict Berlin’s stated commitment to peace.

“The measures taken by Berlin – the closure of the Russian Consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural centre, visa restrictions, and sanctions are completely disproportionate to an unexamined case. They were announced within hours of the incident, without verification of the facts, suggesting a pre-fabricated scenario. Germany is deliberately seeking confrontation, using a false pretext to further damage bilateral relations. Such actions violate international law and the foundations of diplomatic relations.

“The question here is: how coherent is the German government’s position declaring a fight against «hybrid threats» and the protection of European security, while simultaneously increasing military support for the Kyiv authorities, whose actions the Russian side has long documented as exhibiting radical nationalism, russophobia, and neo-nazi ideology?

“Germany, which shoulders historical accountability for the tragedies of the 20th century, is deliberately turning a blind eye to the resurgence of Nazism in the heart of Europe and supplying weapons to those using terror against its own population.

“Given the historical experience, Germany should exercise particular caution in matters related to supporting radical nationalist movements and glorifying individuals associated with nazi ideology. Instead, Berlin prefers to label Russia as the primary source of all threats posed to European security, while neglecting its own contribution to fueling the conflict in Ukraine.