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🇩🇪 Germany /Conflict & Security

Tense Relations: Russia’s Ambassador Says Leipzig Attack Could Have Ended Differently

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Named sources Ongoing story
  • Russian Ambassador Sergei Nechaev denied that Moscow directed an attempted explosive attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
  • Germany attributes the discovery of explosive-carrying drones to Russian intelligence services, while an explosive device near a Ukrainian aircraft did not detonate.
  • Nechaev said Russia does not want war with NATO or Germany, while also describing Russia as being in conflict with NATO over support for Ukraine.

Russia’s ambassador to Germany has dismissed accusations that Moscow orchestrated an attempted bombing at Leipzig/Halle Airport, offering a pointed warning about what could have happened instead.

If we had really wanted to cause trouble in Leipzig, it could, as you certainly know, have looked very different.

· Sergei NechaevThe Russian ambassador denied that Moscow directed the alleged attack and contrasted it with what Russia could have done.

“If we had really wanted to cause trouble in Leipzig, it could, as you certainly know, have looked very different,” Sergei Nechaev said on Ben Berndt’s “ungeskriptet” podcast. “But we have not the slightest intention of provoking the population or the government,” he added.

Berlin believes Russian intelligence services were behind the discovery of drones carrying explosives at the airport. The incident caused no immediate consequences because an explosive device near a Ukrainian aircraft failed to detonate.

But we have not the slightest intention of provoking the population or the government.

· Sergei NechaevNechaev rejected accusations that Russia sought to provoke Germany.

The dispute has already triggered diplomatic retaliation. Russia must close its consulate general in Bonn and the Russian House cultural institute in Berlin as a penalty. Moscow responded by banning Germany’s Goethe Institutes in Russia.

We do not want a war with NATO, we do not want a war against Germany.

· Sergei NechaevThe ambassador described Russia’s position on its relations with NATO and Germany.

“We do not want a war with NATO, we do not want a war against Germany,” Nechaev said. At the same time, he described Russia as being in conflict with NATO because its members, including Germany, support Ukraine. “We are fighting against NATO in the current situation,” he said. Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and has tried to subjugate its neighbor since then.

We are fighting against NATO in the current situation.

· Sergei NechaevNechaev said NATO members’ support for Ukraine made them parties to the conflict.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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