Photo courtesy of Anadolu
Russia denied involvement in an alleged drone incident at Germany’s Leipzig Airport after Britain summoned Moscow’s top-ranking diplomat in London over the matter.
Russian chargé d’affaires Vasily Tsyganov was called to the British Foreign Office on Thursday, where UK officials raised accusations linking Moscow to the incident, according to the Russian Embassy.
The embassy said Tsyganov rejected the allegation and argued that British authorities had not presented evidence sufficient to establish Russian responsibility.
Moscow instead characterized the episode as an attempt to increase tensions between Russia and European countries. It accused Ukraine and its supporters of benefiting from the confrontation, without providing evidence for the claim.
The diplomatic dispute followed Germany’s accusation that Russia was responsible for an attempted drone attack near Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig Airport on Aug. 4.
Berlin responded this week with measures targeting Russia’s diplomatic and cultural presence in Germany, including plans to close the Russian Consulate General in Bonn by Sept. 18.
Germany also moved to terminate a bilateral agreement covering cultural centers and ordered the closure of the Russian House in Berlin, according to the information provided.
The Russian Embassy maintained that Moscow was not seeking confrontation with Britain or other European governments, but warned that it would respond to further measures it considered escalatory.