---
title: "“A Sign of Desperation”: Berlin Slaps Back at Lavrov’s Words on the “Start of a Real War” with Germany"
description: "German Foreign Minister Johann Wadefuhl called Lavrov’s statement about the “start of a real war” with Germany a sign of Moscow’s desperation and accused his Russian counterpart of spreading lies."
date: 2026-09-09T08:22:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/wadefuhl-response-lavrov-start-real-war-germany
tags: [russia-germany, sergey-lavrov, johann-wadefuhl, leipzig-airport-drone, hybrid-warfare]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# “A Sign of Desperation”: Berlin Slaps Back at Lavrov’s Words on the “Start of a Real War” with Germany

![CDU politician against party logo backdrop in Berlin amid Germany's sharp response to Lavrov's 'war' remarks](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/09/vadeful-otvet-lavrovu-nachale-nastoyashchey-voyny-germaniya/vadeful-otvet-lavrovu-nachale-nastoyashchey-voyny-germaniya-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Wadefuhl called Lavrov’s statement about the “start of a real war” with the FRG a manifestation of Russian desperation and a lie.
- Berlin links the escalation with the official accusation of Russia over the drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport on September 1.
- The German minister suggested that the timing of the statement (the day of the elections in Saxony-Anhalt) was meant to create uncertainty in society.
- Wadefuhl emphasized that the war against Ukraine has already been going on for five years, not “a few days” as Moscow had expected.

The German Foreign Minister Johann Wadefuhl called Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement about the “start of a real war” between Russia and Germany a sign of Moscow’s desperation. According to the German diplomat, his Russian counterpart’s words amount to the spread of lies, and Lavrov, in Wadefuhl’s view, is fully aware of Russia’s guilt and knows how Berlin will react. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the Bild publication.

### Context: the drone over Leipzig and the official accusation

The verbal escalation flared up against the backdrop of an incident at Leipzig/Halle airport. On the night of August 5, a suspicious object was found near the Ukrainian cargo aircraft An-124 “Ruslan,” which temporarily halted the airport’s operations; it later turned out to be a drone that had struck the most vulnerable section of the aircraft’s wing. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt called the event a “new level of danger” for the country and one of the manifestations of a hybrid threat. On September 1, Berlin officially accused Russia of carrying out this attack, and a few days later Lavrov publicly declared the “start of a real war” with the Federal Republic of Germany.

### Timing and an attempt to influence society

Wadefuhl noted that Lavrov’s statement came on the day of the elections in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, and suggested that it may have been an attempt to create additional uncertainty in German society. The German diplomat emphasized that the Russian authorities are using the tools available to them to influence society, but Germany will not be intimidated. That is why he characterized the verbal escalation from Moscow as “a certain manifestation of Russian desperation.”

### Contradictory data

Open sources contain discrepancies in the details of the incident. German media floated the version that the Ukrainian aircraft may have been carrying ammunition, and also reported that the drone collided in the air with another drone. However, the airline “Antonov” refuted this information. Thus, the version of a collision between two drones and of the nature of the cargo on board the An-124 is unconfirmed and contradicts the position of the aircraft’s operator.

### Broader context: the fifth year of the war

Against this backdrop, Wadefuhl recalled that Russia “has not achieved as much success in this war (against Ukraine — ed.) as it had hoped,” since “the war was supposed to end in a few days — and now it has already been going on for five years.” This statement fits into the broader rhetoric of Berlin, which links hybrid incidents on its territory with Moscow’s attempts to destabilize public opinion ahead of domestic political events in individual states.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [In Germany, a response to Lavrov’s statement on the “start of a real war” with the FRG](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/nimechchini-vidpovili-zayavu-lavrova-pochatok-1788941821.html) - Подтверждает реакцию Вадефуля: заявление Лаврова названо признаком отчаяния, обвинение в лжи, контекст дрона в Лейпциге и выборов в Саксонии-Анхальт.
- [In Germany, a response to Lavrov’s statement on the “start of a real war” with the FRG](https://charter97.org/ru/news/2026/9/9/697811/) - Независимое подтверждение тех же тезисов Вадефуля и хронологии инцидента (5 августа дрон, 1 сентября обвинение).
- [Wadefuhl urged Ukrainian men in Germany to return to Ukraine](https://korrespondent.net/world/4910207-vadeful-pryzval-ukraynskykh-muzhchyn-v-hermanyy-vernutsia-v-ukraynu) - Связанный контекст по другим заявлениям того же министра; не подтверждает основную новость напрямую.
- [German Foreign Minister: There are still no promises from other countries regarding missiles for Ukraine’s air defense](https://news.liga.net/war/news/glava-mid-germanii-poka-net-nikakih-obeshtanii-ot-drugih-stran-otnositelno-raket-dlya-pvo-ukrainy) - Связанный контекст по позиции Вадефуля; не относится непосредственно к заявлению о «войне» с РФ.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What exactly did Wadefuhl say in response to Lavrov?
**A:** He called Lavrov’s statement about the “start of a real war” with Germany a sign of Moscow’s desperation and accused his Russian counterpart of spreading lies.

### Q: Why did this escalation occur?
**A:** Against the backdrop of Berlin’s official accusation on September 1 that Russia is responsible for the drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport, where on August 5 a drone was found near the Ukrainian An-124.

### Q: What did Wadefuhl say about the timing of the statement?
**A:** He suggested that the statement was made on the day of the elections in Saxony-Anhalt and may have been an attempt to create uncertainty in German society, but Germany will not be intimidated.

### Q: Are there any discrepancies in the facts of the incident?
**A:** Yes: German media reported a possible cargo of ammunition and a collision between two drones, but “Antonov” refuted this information; it has been confirmed that the drone hit a vulnerable section of the An-124’s wing.