The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the German Charge d’Affaires Bernd Finke on Wednesday to protest Berlin’s allegations that a drone found with explosives at the Leipzig airport last month was of Russian origin.
Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergey Nechayev was called to the German Foreign Ministry on Tuesday over the same incident. Germany also ordered the closure of the Russian Consulate General in Bonn.
Nechayev called the claims of the explosive-laden drone found on Aug. 5 completely unfounded.
Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on Tuesday that the German actions are linked to the country’s domestic politics. He suggested that the government is prioritizing confrontation with Russia over Germany’s national interests, given the Chancellor’s low popularity at home.
Putin dismissed the accusations as lacking evidence and described the incident as a fabrication. (Xinhua/GSF)