Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that accusations from the West regarding Moscow's involvement in a drone incident at Germany's Leipzig airport are, by and large, the start of a real war. Lavrov accused Germany of moving toward a direct confrontation with Russia.
The tension follows a failed drone attack for which Germany held Moscow responsible. In response, Germany is shutting down the Russian consulate in Bonn and its cultural center in Berlin.
Russia has reacted with tit-for-tat measures, announcing it will shutter the German consulate in St. Petersburg. Lavrov criticized Berlin's decision to close diplomatic offices, further deepening the diplomatic dispute between the two countries.