(MENAFN) Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov urged Western European officials to "broaden their horizons" regarding recent drone sightings near critical infrastructure and airports, pushing back against accusations aimed at Russia. Speaking to journalists on Monday, Peskov emphasized that there are "absolutely no grounds to blame Russia for this," highlighting a recent case involving a local drone hobbyist in Europe with no ties to Moscow.

While several European nations have reported numerous UAV sightings over the past month and quickly attributed them to Russia, Peskov questioned the evidence behind these claims. He referenced a specific incident—though without naming it—where an aviation enthusiast was arrested during drone testing, suggesting that such isolated events challenge the narrative blaming Russia.

European media have noted arrests of individuals unrelated to Russia, including a Croatian citizen near a German airport and German and Chinese nationals detained or deported for drone activities near airports in Norway and Germany.

Peskov described the situation as "strange, to say the least," and criticized the tendency of some European politicians to blame Russia "without any basis, without any grounds." Moscow has consistently denied involvement in these incidents, labeling the accusations as Western attempts to stoke anti-Russian sentiment, justify increased military spending, and heighten geopolitical tensions.

Additionally, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service cautioned that Kyiv might orchestrate drone provocations as false-flag operations designed to implicate Russia and draw NATO further into the Ukraine conflict.

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