EU’s Kallas calls alleged Russian drone plot ‘state sponsored terrorism’ as Europe mulls a response

The European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, declared on Wednesday that an attempted attack on a German airport, allegedly carried out by Russia, constitutes "state-sponsored terrorism." This comes as EU countries debate their response to the incident. The German government had previously attributed the attack to Russia, which occurred on August 4th when a drone, loaded with explosives, was found near a Ukrainian plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport.

The device was subsequently defused. German officials had stated that the incident marked a new level of danger, prompting the government to close a Russian consulate among other measures. Kallas, speaking at a meeting of EU defense ministers in Ireland, suggested that the EU might need to adopt a new stance or even collaborate with NATO in response to the attack.

The incident has been widely attributed by Western officials to Moscow's campaign of sabotage and disruption aimed at undermining support for Ukraine and destabilizing European nations. The EU is already planning to impose additional sanctions on more individuals in retaliation for Russia's war against Ukraine; they currently have 1,600 listings targeted at Russia's military sector already in place.