Leipzig Airport. Ukrainian drones. russian propagandists. russian airspace

russian propagandists are massively spreading a fake claiming that the German newspaper Die Zeit allegedly wrote: "Ukraine could be behind the attempted terrorist attack at Leipzig Airport in Germany. Kyiv reportedly planned a false-flag operation to discredit russia. The client behind the potential attack is likely a foreign state. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian side has extensive experience with drones and could have staged the incident to convince the German public of the need to step up support for Kyiv."

In reality, this is manipulation. russian media have once again taken material from a foreign publication out of context to use to their advantage. The original article in Die Zeit contains no claims regarding Ukrainian responsibility for launching drones at Leipzig Airport (https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2026-08/anschlag-leipzig-russland-ermittlung-explosion). The piece notes that German investigators are looking into all possible angles, including Kyiv's potential involvement. However, the authors immediately outline three compelling arguments for why such an operation would be deeply illogical and disadvantageous for Ukraine. Die Zeit emphasizes that russia is the party interested in attacking Leipzig, a major logistics hub used to transport military aid to Ukraine.  
The russian theory has a major flaw: Germany is already the most active supporter of military aid to Ukraine. Thus, staging such an event holds no benefit for Ukrainians, only the risk of losing a key partner. The theory pointing to a russian client is far more likely also because these are by no means the first such incidents on German soil. Unidentified drone overflights were previously spotted over naval bases on the North and Baltic Seas, as well as over facilities where Ukrainian servicemen were undergoing training. Security forces suspect that russian state entities or hired "disposable agents" could be behind some of these incidents. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt called the incident a professional "hybrid threat scenario" involving military-grade explosives and evidence of intentional sabotage: https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2026-08/dobrindt-spricht-nach-drohnen-vorfall-von-neuer-gefahrenqualitaet-gxe 
U.S. intelligence and security reports later pointed to possible russian links (https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/us-medien-sehen-hinweise-auf-russische-herkunft-von-sprengstoff-drohne-100.html), aligning with previous sabotage operations targeting European aviation and logistics infrastructure.
russia's FIMI network launched a massive campaign following Zelenskyy's statement on the dangers of flying in russian airspace.
More than 1,500 pieces of content were recorded on this topic. This narrative became the largest targeted at a foreign audience—accounting for over 19% of the entire FIMI volume.  
Propaganda presents Ukraine's warning as an alleged "threat to civilian aircraft." This talking point was widely pushed by putin, russian government officials, the RT media network, Pravda, and pro-russian outlets abroad. The playbook is simple: swap the aggressor and the victim. A warning about the dangers of flying over a country waging war is twisted into an alleged Ukrainian intention to attack civilian aviation. At the same time, propaganda conceals the main point: russia itself has been attacking Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure for years, whereas Ukrainian long-range strikes are aimed strictly at military and war-related targets. To avoid civilian casualties, Zelenskyy deliberately warned airlines about the risks of using the aggressor state's airspace. This statement was intended primarily for Western audiences and the aviation industry.  
Yet russia is once again attempting to frame Ukraine as a "threat to peaceful passengers" and exert additional pressure on Kyiv to limit its long-range strikes.  
Fake: Zelenskyy plans to drag the US into a war with russia and start World War III.
This is how russian media report a statement by retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis. In reality, Davis provides zero evidence for the existence of any such "plan." It is his personal commentary, which russian media present as an established fact. Furthermore, Davis is not an active member of the U.S. military—he retired back in 2015. He currently works as an analyst at Defense Priorities and has long opposed expanding American support for Ukraine. In particular, he previously claimed that Ukraine should accept russian terms to end the war, effectively demanding capitulation. In contrast, Ukraine's official stance centers on bolstering air defenses, maintaining sanctions pressure on russia, and leveraging diplomacy to end the war.  
On August 23, Zelenskyy once again called for stronger sanctions to force russia into a diplomatic end to the war, and on August 31, he discussed this topic with representatives of the U.S. President. Therefore, claims about Zelenskyy's desire to "drag the U.S. into war" are pure manipulation and russian fabrication.  
Manipulation: Former CIA agent claims russia will capture Donbas, cross the Dnipro, and then offer negotiations by the end of the year.
russian media are pushing statements by 87-year-old former CIA officer Ray McGovern, framing them as an authoritative American assessment and confirmation of russia's allegedly inevitable victory. In reality, McGovern does not represent the CIA or the U.S. government, and his claims are personal political assessments that russian propaganda media have actively circulated for years.  
He provides no facts or intelligence data to back up his predictions. Using the "former CIA agent" tag in headlines is a classic appeal-to-authority manipulation designed to create the illusion that even former American intelligence officials confirm the kremlin's forecasts. Over the first 8 months of 2026, the russian military captured 1.2% of new Ukrainian territory, but during that same period, Ukrainian forces reclaimed 0.9%. Thus, the real situation on the front lines demonstrates the exact opposite: it is increasingly difficult for the russians to capture new territory, and any statements about Ukraine's defeat are merely the sick fantasies of putin's criminal regime.
Based on materials from Stopfake.org, Spravdi.ua
Read more: Manipulation: russia Has Not Touched Europe; Instead, Europe is Sending Weapons Against russia