Russia summons German diplomat to protest over 'fabricated' Leipzig drone attack allegation

Russia's ​Foreign Ministry on Wednesday ‌summoned ​Germany's charge d'affaires in Moscow to reject what it called Germany's "entirely ‌fabricated" accusations that Russia was behind an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month.

Germany said on Tuesday it ‌had concluded that Russia was responsible for the attempted ‌attack and ordered a series of measures in response, including the closure of a consulate and a Russian cultural centre in ⁠Germany. "Berlin ​has deliberately ⁠engaged in a blatant provocation aimed at escalating tensions in Russian-German ⁠relations. The German authorities' actions will be met with a ​firm response," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

President ⁠Vladimir Putin on Tuesday dismissed the German accusations as baseless, accusing ⁠Berlin ​of planting evidence to frame Russia for the attack. He also accused Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government of ⁠trying to divert attention away from Germany's domestic problems and ⁠its ⁠own declining approval ratings by casting Russia as a hostile state.