Pegasus Turns Russia-Bound Jets Back After Zelensky Warning

Turkey’s largest private airline, Pegasus Airlines, canceled multiple flights to Moscow and turned at least two Russia-bound jets back to Turkey overnight into Wednesday, Sept. 2, hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned carriers that Russian airspace was becoming unsafe because of Ukrainian drone operations.Russian Telegram channels Ostorozhno Novosti and Post reported the disruptions, citing passengers and flight-tracking data. However, Pegasus has not publicly confirmed that Zelensky’s statement prompted the decision.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.Which Pegasus flights were affected?At least three Moscow-bound Pegasus flights were canceled or returned to Turkey, while Russian media reported dozens of canceled services between the two countries.Passengers on flight PC1456 from Bodrum to Moscow’s Vnukovo airport said they had been scheduled to depart at 12:05 a.m., but the flight was canceled during boarding. The cancellation was also shown on the Bodrum airport departure board.Some passengers said they had waited for more than 10 hours and were given hotel accommodation until noon, but with no confirmed departure time.“We don’t know what to expect. The Turkish side is prohibiting departures,” passengers quoted airline representatives as saying, according to Ostorozhno Novosti.Another passenger told Post that her aircraft had already been flying toward Russia when it reversed course.“I tried to fly to Russia last night, but halfway through the flight the plane turned around and we returned,” she said. Other Topics of Interest Medvedev Threatens ‘Direct Strike’ on German Military Factories, Hints at Attacks on Berlin His remarks came after Germany accused Russia of being behind a drone attack on Leipzig Airport on Aug. 5. Post reported that flight PC1576 from Antalya turned back after reaching Lithuanian airspace, while PC1521 from Izmir also reversed course over Europe. Flight-tracking data listed the Sept. 1 Izmir-Moscow service as diverted back to Izmir.Russian outlet Moskvich Mag reported that several dozen departures had disappeared from airport schedules by Wednesday morning. The affected routes reportedly connected Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Samara with Istanbul, Bodrum, Dalaman, Izmir, and Antalya.Did Zelensky’s warning trigger the cancellations?The timing prompted speculation among passengers and Russian media, but Pegasus has not officially linked the cancellations to Zelensky’s address.On Tuesday, Zelensky warned airlines, insurers, and foreign governments about the growing risks of continuing to use Russian airspace.“There will simply be drones in Russia’s skies on a scale that has to be taken into account,” Zelensky said.He stressed that Ukraine does not target civilian aircraft but said Russian airspace would “effectively be closing” as Kyiv expands its long-range drone operations in response to Moscow’s war.Ukraine has intensified attacks on targets inside Russia, including a July operation in which Russian officials claimed more than 400 drones targeted the Moscow region, as well as repeated strikes on Russian industrial facilities in August.Temporary restrictions were imposed at Vnukovo overnight and lifted at around 6 a.m., according to Ostorozhno Novosti. Starting at about 7 a.m., Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claimed that Russian air defenses had intercepted 14 drones approaching the capital.Pegasus had not announced a blanket suspension of services to Russia as of Wednesday. Its international flight-status page continued to list several Russian routes as operating, while others said that new flight dates would be announced. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.