Russia and Germany are locked in their most serious diplomatic dispute since the start of the war in Ukraine, after Berlin accused Moscow of carrying out a drone attack on a key logistics airport in August.
In early August, two drones carrying explosives were found near Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany, a hub used by NATO to move military supplies to Ukraine. One drone appears to have targeted Ukrainian military transport aircraft on the ground.
A DHL cargo plane was also struck by an unidentified object as it came in to land, damaging its tail and forcing the aircraft to abort the landing.
After weeks of investigation, the German government said on 1 September that it had concluded the attack was carried out by Russia, citing intelligence findings and police investigations.
Germany responded by closing two Russian diplomatic missions in the country. Moscow retaliated within days.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry ordered Germany’s consulate in St Petersburg to close by 18 September and ordered Goethe-Institut cultural centres, which promote German language and culture abroad, to close by 13 September, with staff required to leave the country.
Moscow said Germany had “provoked” the escalation and bore full responsibility for the consequences. It has dismissed the drone allegation as invented.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov went further, accusing Germany of moving towards direct confrontation with Russia and suggesting the situation marked the start of “a real war”.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rejected any suggestion that Berlin would soften its stance, saying he would not move “a single millimetre” from defending German freedom against Russia.
The dispute comes amid growing unease across Europe over Russian hybrid warfare, a mix of sabotage, cyberattacks and disinformation that falls short of open conflict.
Finland has completed construction of a 200-kilometre fence along its border with Russia, saying it needs the barrier to guard against such tactics.
Germany is one of Ukraine’s largest backers, having provided more than $50 billion in civilian aid and just under $67 billion in military support since 2022.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has arrived in Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral ties and ...
A Russian guided aerial bomb has struck an apartment building in Kharkiv, injuring 22 people, including children, according to the city’...
A decade ago, a far-right party winning a major Western European election would have caused a political shock. Today, such results are increasingly...
Iran has called for a diplomatic solution after U.S. President Donald Trump rejected its Hormuz proposal, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was awaiting a definitive U.S. response through mediators.
A Russian guided aerial bomb has struck an apartment building in Kharkiv, injuring 22 people, including children, according to the city’s mayor. The strike follows a day of near-continuous Russian attacks across Ukraine that killed at least five people.
British police have arrested five men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act after a major security incident was declared near RAF Fairford, a British air base used by U.S. air forces in Gloucestershire, England.
Six people have died after a two-storey residential building in a tourist area of central Athens collapsed, the Greek fire brigade said on Saturday (26 September), following an explosion that the mayor said was likely linked to gas infrastructure.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has arrived in Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral ties and key regional and international developments, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
A decade ago, a far-right party winning a major Western European election would have caused a political shock. Today, such results are increasingly becoming part of Europe’s political landscape.
A Russian guided aerial bomb has struck an apartment building in Kharkiv, injuring 22 people, including children, according to the city’s mayor. The strike follows a day of near-continuous Russian attacks across Ukraine that killed at least five people.
France’s far-right National Rally (RN) and its ally, the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR), have won enough seats to form a group in the Senate for the first time, marking a breakthrough for the party ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Pope Leo has renewed his pledge to tackle abuse within the Catholic Church after privately meeting survivors of clergy abuse during his visit to France.
Swiss voters have overwhelmingly rejected stricter neutrality rules that would have limited the country’s ability to impose sanctions and cooperate with NATO, with more than 70 per cent voting against the proposal.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment