Ukraine Warns Airlines Against Traveling Through Russian Airspace

Ukraine has issued a warning to airlines still operating in Russian airspace, urging them to reconsider flights to Moscow, St. Petersburg and other major destinations, as drone activity increasingly disrupts flights and airport operations across the country.Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry and relevant institutions will provide international aviation institutions with further information regarding the threat to civilian flights, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement on Tuesday, Sept. 1.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“In Ukraine, we do not want innocent lives to be lost. That is why we are warning our partners: there are no longer safe moments in Russia’s skies,” Zelensky said, noting that Russian authorities were not adequately disclosing the risks to civilian aviation.Risks for civilian flightsAlthough Ukraine itself will not pose a threat to civilian aviation, “there will be drones in Russia’s skies, and this must be taken into account,” Zelensky said, adding that the country’s airspace was becoming entirely unsafe for traveling civilians.He called on foreign ambassadors working in Kyiv and Moscow to communicate the warning to their governments.The warning comes as Russia faces repeated war-related disruptions, including periodic airspace restrictions and temporary airport closures.Several aviation risk monitors have warned that drone activity and Russian air defenses pose risks for civilian flights, no matter the altitude. Other Topics of Interest Fedorov Says Palantir CEO Will Back Ukraine Defense Tech Company Meetings in Washington focused on attracting investors to help Ukrainian defense technology companies expand globally. “Civil aviation has no place among drones,” Zelensky concluded.Widening airspace threatAccording to a Conflict Zone and Risk Database report by Safe Airspace, Ukraine’s airspace has remained closed to civilian aviation since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.Russia, Belarus and Moldova have closed parts of their airspace as well, particularly near their borders with Ukraine.Several countries, including the US, UK, Canada, France and Italy, have issued total flight bans through Ukrainian airspace due to the risk of military activity and cyberattack risks that could unintentionally endanger civilians.Meanwhile, Russia continues intensifying the strikes on Ukraine nationwide.According to Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Presidential Office, Russia is likely to continue mass drone attacks on Ukraine at least until its September State Duma elections, as the Kremlin seeks to show voters a “picture of victory.”As of July 29, NATO member states had experienced roughly 80 Russian drone and missile airspace violations since 2022, raising broader concerns that Russia’s war against Ukraine could spill over into other countries’ territory. 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.