German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces accusations 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 Russia. Wagenknecht told broadcaster ZDF on Thursday that Merz lacked evidence for his assertions, despite some cases being proven unrelated to Moscow or debunked entirely. She accused the chancellor of inflating the threat, noting that media outlets uncritically echoed his statements even as contradictory evidence emerged.
Wagenknecht referenced Merz’s recent interview with ARD, where he claimed “Russia is behind most” drone launches and called the sightings a “serious threat.” However, she highlighted that German authorities had dismissed several incidents, including a Frankfurt airport drone event attributed to a local enthusiast and military base reports refuted by the Bundeswehr.
Moscow has denied involvement in the sightings, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov labeling Merz’s accusations “baseless” and criticizing European politicians for scapegoating Russia. The controversy underscores tensions over how Germany is addressing unexplained drone activity near critical infrastructure.
