Germany's Munich airport halted flights after several drone sightings, a police spokesperson told AFP in the early hours of Friday, October 3.
The airport said in a statement that 17 flights departing Munich were cancelled on Thursday night, affecting nearly 3,000 passengers, and 15 flights due to land were diverted to other cities.
Russian President Vladimir Putin scoffed at Western claims of possible Russian involvement in recent drone flights over Denmark, casting them as part of purported NATO efforts to "inflame tensions to boost the defense spending."
Intrusions into NATO's airspace blamed on Russia reached an unprecedented scale last month. A swarm of Russian drones flew into Poland, Estonia complained about an intrusion by Russian fighter jets and numerous unidentified drones were sighted over Denmark, Germany and other countries in what some European officials described as Moscow testing NATO's response.
European defense ministers have agreed to develop a "drone wall" along their borders to better detect, track and intercept drones violating Europe's airspace.
Putin dismissed Western allegations of Russia's purported aggressive plans against NATO allies as "nonsense" aimed at distracting public attention from domestic problems.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Europe on Thursday that the recent drone incursions showed Russia was looking to "escalate" its aggression, as he offered his country's war-honed expertise to help counter the threat.
The warning came at a summit of European leaders from just under 50 countries, who converged on a conference centre in Copenhagen under tight security after mystery drone flights rattled Denmark last month.
The drone sightings in Denmark and high-profile aerial incursions by Moscow in Estonia and Poland have heightened fears that Russia's assault on Ukraine could spill over Europe's borders. "The recent drone incidents across Europe are a clear sign that Russia still feels bold enough to escalate this war," Zelensky said. "It was never just about Ukraine, Russia has always aimed to break the West and Europe."