Kremlin dismisses NYT ‘hoax’

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has rejected claims that Russian drones have flown over Germany

A New York Times (NYT) report claiming that Russian surveillance drones have been flying over military supply routes in Germany “looks more like another newspaper hoax,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

The NYT article published on Thursday cited US and European officials expressing concern about alleged Russian intelligence gathering across Europe. The NYT claimed that Russian drones have monitored US and other western military shipments through eastern Germany, particularly those bound for Ukraine.

Local media outlet WirtschaftsWoche has also alleged drone activity near German military bases, citing local defense officials who described it as a security risk.

The Kremlin spokesman countered that if Russian drones had actually been operating in Germany, the country’s authorities would have certainly noticed and spoken up.

The report comes as a number of Western European governments have been voicing fears of a supposed Russian military threat to the EU. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed such claims as baseless fearmongering used by Western leaders to beef up military budgets.

READ MORE: Europe rapidly ‘building for war’ – FT

Earlier this month, Financial Times reported that Europe was rapidly expanding its weapons plants and “building for war,” calling it “rearmament on a historic scale.”

Moscow has accused European leaders of pushing the continent towards confrontation. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has charged that Western governments are trying to prepare Europe for “a real war against Russia,” accusing the EU of exhibiting a “Russophobic frenzy” and uncontrolled militarization.