(KYIV, UKRAINE) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russian airspace is becoming completely dangerous for civilian aviation, citing the massive volume of drones now operating over Russian territory every night.
Zelenskyy stated: “There are no more safe moments in the sky over Russia.”
The warning follows weeks of sustained Ukrainian drone operations against Russian military targets. Russia has responded by accusing Ukraine of threatening civilian aircraft and engaging in state terrorism.
Zelenskyy addressed international airlines directly: “Today, we want to warn every airline that uses Russian airspace, every insurance company, and everyone who still uses key Russian airports. Russian airspace is becoming completely dangerous.”
He added: “Ukraine does not pose a threat to civilian aviation as such to any civilian aircraft. However, the presence of drones in the sky over Russia means that this must be taken into account. Although the Russian authorities are not properly informing people about this, Russian airspace is in effect closing. The war that Russia has unleashed is closing its own airspace.”
The Ukrainian President emphasised: “We in Ukraine do not want to see the loss of innocent lives. Therefore, we are warning our partners there are no more safe moments in the sky over Russia. Civilian aviation has no place among the drones.”
Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha confirmed that Ukraine has officially notified the International Civil Aviation Organization that Russian airspace is not safe for civilian aviation because of increased military activity.
“Ukraine has officially notified the International Civil Aviation Organization that Russian airspace is not safe for civilian aviation because of increased military activity. We urge everyone to avoid it,” Sybiha said.
He continued: “Russia has been deliberately ignoring the existing threats as a result of its aggression against Ukraine, which has already led to several incidents in past years. Against the backdrop of Russia’s drastic escalation of terror against Ukraine, Russian airspace is becoming increasingly unsafe.”
Sybiha added: “This is our responsible decision to notify ICAO and all airlines, that’s the International Civil Aviation Organization, and governments to take the caution even if Russia refuses to fulfil its responsibility to inform them. We want to prevent unintended accidents. The war is returning home to Russia. Ukraine exercises its inherent right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.”
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin responded by describing the warning as “a bid for state terrorism” and stated that Russia does not negotiate with terrorists.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said: “All of this is being carried out with money received from abroad, which gives the terrorism of the Kyiv regime an international dimension.”
Data from tracking accounts on X indicates that Russian airports were closed 166 times in August, an average of more than five closures per day. A total of 11,545 strike drones entered Russian or Russian occupied territories of Ukraine in August alone.
Recent nightly drone figures include 430 Ukrainian drones on 3rd September, 340 on 1st September, and 410 on 31st August.
Nine of Russia’s ten busiest airports are within range of Ukrainian drones. The mass produced Ukrainian FP1 and FP2 drones have an approximate range of 2,000 km.
Russian military blogger Two Majors acknowledged the growing threat, stating: “In terms of the number of long range UAVs, the Ukrainian armed forces have already approached Russian capabilities and could theoretically even surpass them if the stated target of 1,000 units per day is achieved through production, funding, and components.”
Russian military blogger Vunker Coten called for intensified strikes on Ukraine and sabotage operations within Europe itself in response to Zelenskyy’s warning.
Ukraine’s airports have not operated civilian aircraft since the opening days of the war due to the risk posed by Russian attacks.
Some airlines have already begun reducing flights to Russia. Most international airlines stopped flying into Russia some time ago.
There is no evidence that Ukraine has deliberately targeted Russian civilian airports. The airport closures have resulted from drone activity in the general vicinity of airfields.
The disruption to Russian air travel affects state revenue through state owned airlines and creates pressure on private carriers. The wealthiest Russians are disproportionately affected by airport closures and flight reductions.
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