Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a direct warning to airlines operating to Russia, describing the country’s airspace as “completely unsafe” as Ukraine continues to carry out drone attacks.
Speaking during his nightly video address on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said that “the safe days in Russia’s skies are over”, arguing that the ongoing war is creating an increasingly dangerous environment for civilian aviation.
The Ukrainian president stressed that Ukraine does not intend to target civilian aircraft or put innocent passengers at risk. However, he said airlines must recognise that drones will increasingly be present in Russian airspace and factor that risk into their operations.
“Ukraine does not pose a threat to civilian aviation as such, to any civilian aircraft. It’s simply that drones will be present in Russian skies, and this must be taken into account. Although the Russian authorities are not properly informing the public about it, Russian airspace will effectively begin to close: the war started by Russia is closing its own skies,” Zelensky said.
Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine does not seek the loss of innocent lives, but said international partners should understand that the period of relative safety in Russian airspace has come to an end.
He called on ambassadors representing countries in Ukraine and Russia to ensure that their governments are fully aware of the situation.
“It is important that ambassadors of countries working here in Ukraine, as well as ambassadors working in Moscow, hear this. Every one of them knows exactly what Russia’s war means for our country and our people, and they must convey this information to their capitals,” he said.
Zelenskyy also singled out airlines that continue to operate flights to Moscow, St. Petersburg and other major Russian destinations.
He said Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry and other relevant institutions would provide international organisations with comprehensive information about the dangers facing Russian airspace.
“Civil aviation has no place among drones,” the Ukrainian president stressed.
The warning comes as Kyiv continues to present itself as a country seeking an end to the conflict. Zelenskyy again recalled that Ukraine had previously refrained from carrying out strikes against Russia when its international partners had asked it to do so.
According to the president, the return of safe civilian aviation to Russian skies will depend on a genuine move towards peace.
“Safety will return to Russia’s skies. It will return when a genuine movement toward peace begins. Russia’s skies are now for drones, not for civilian aviation, as long as the war continues,” Zelenskyy said.
Earlier, media reports claimed that Ukrainian officials had allegedly put forward a proposal for Zelenskyy to authorise drone attacks against Moscow airports earlier this year. The reported plan was ultimately put on hold.
The latest warning nevertheless places renewed attention on the risks facing airlines serving Russian destinations, as Ukraine’s drone campaign and the continued war increasingly affect the country’s aviation environment.
