Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged airlines, insurers and international partners to take into account the growing risks in Russian airspace. According to him, with Ukrainian drones operating over Russia, the country’s airspace will de facto become increasingly unsafe for civilian aviation.
Zelensky made the statement in his evening address.
“Russian airspace is becoming completely unsafe. Ukraine does not threaten civilian aviation as such — not a single civilian aircraft. There will simply be drones in Russia’s skies, and this must be taken into account,” the president said.
He stressed that, in his view, the Russian authorities are not properly informing others about the risks, while Russia’s airspace will effectively become increasingly restricted because of the war Moscow launched against Ukraine.
“We in Ukraine do not want innocent lives to be lost. That is why we are warning our partners: the safe moments in Russia’s skies are over,” Zelensky said.
The president called on foreign ambassadors working in Ukraine and Russia to pass this information on to their governments.
He also specifically addressed airlines that continue to operate flights to Moscow, St. Petersburg and other major Russian airports.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry and other relevant agencies will provide international organizations with full information about the risks in Russian airspace.
“Civil aviation has no place among drones,” the president concluded.
