One of Germany's largest airports has been forced to close its doors after several drones were detected flying over its facilities. This latest intrusion comes in a string of similar incidents in Europe in recent weeks, blamed on Russia.

Bavarian skies under surveillance. Munich's Franz Josef Strauss Airport closed its doors Thursday evening after several drones were detected above the facility. Airport authorities suspended all takeoffs and landings from 10:18 p.m., resulting in the cancellation of 17 flights and disrupting the travel of nearly 3,000 passengers. Fifteen other arriving flights were diverted to Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna, and Frankfurt, the airport said in a statement cited by Reuters.

The first suspicious devices were reportedly spotted around 9:30 p.m. by witnesses near the airport. Police immediately investigated but were unable to identify the drones or their owners. An hour later, more drones were spotted, this time directly above the airport, Federal Police spokesman Stefan Bayer confirmed to the German daily Bild.

Munich Airport usually closes at midnight. Federal police could not confirm whether operations would resume normally at 5 a.m. on Friday.

Europe faces drone intrusions

This incident comes as several European countries have faced similar violations of their airspace in recent weeks. Denmark has recorded several drone overflights of unknown origin over its strategic installations. Poland has also reported repeated intrusions into its skies, particularly near its border with Ukraine. These incidents have been blamed on Moscow.

On Thursday, Vladimir Putin derided accusations against Russia following several drone incidents in Europe, saying that the "hysteria stirred up by Europeans" around Russian drones in the Old Continent is being fabricated to "distract from problems in the West." He added ironically that the Russian military has "no drones capable of flying to Lisbon."

The Russian president also joked that he would no longer "fly over Denmark," where airport closures took place last week. "I won't do it again, I promise," he quipped. Moscow denies responsibility, while Poland and its NATO allies recently shot down Russian drones in their airspace and several European countries are now talking about creating a "drone wall."

For his part, Emmanuel Macron toughened his tone in Copenhagen during a European summit. "It is very important to have a clear message. Drones, which violate our territories, represent a significant risk. They can be destroyed, period," the French president insisted on Thursday.