EUROPEAN Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas accused Russia of “state-sponsored terrorism” as today’s EU foreign ministers’ summit got under way in Ireland.

Ms Kallas referred to Germany’s announcement on Tuesday that an explosives-laden drone found and defused near a Ukrainian cargo plane last month had been placed by Russia. Russia denies the accusation, and says the drone was planted to incriminate it.

Leipzig airport is a logistical hub from which Ukrainian aircraft load with weaponry and munitions for use in its war with Russia, and also hosts Nato’s Strategic Airlift International Solution, a nine-country partnership that charters Ukrainian cargo planes to deliver “forces and equipment rapidly to wherever they are needed.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that there would be “consequences” for Russia for planting the drone, but there was little clarity on what EU states intended to do. Germany has announced further sanctions, closed the Russian consulate in Bonn and plans to shut down a Russian cultural centre in Berlin.

Speaking at the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Germany was deflecting from its domestic troubles including the closure of industrial enterprises and falling living standards.

He also said Russia would “find a way to respond” if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s warnings of danger to civilian airliners over Russia materialise.

Mr Zelensky said on Tuesday night he was advising “every airline that uses Russian airspace, every insurer, everyone who still uses key Russian airports: the Russian sky is becoming completely dangerous.” He said Ukraine would not target passenger aircraft, but that the number of Ukrainian drones in the air over Russia should be “taken into account.”