Zelenskyy warns airlines: Russian skies no longer safe for civilian flights
Zelenskyy cautions foreign carriers and insurers that Russian airspace is becoming unsafe due to large-scale drone operations, urging global pressure for peace.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a stark warning to international airlines and insurers, stating that Russian airspace is becoming "completely unsafe" for civilian aviation. In a video address on Tuesday, he said that drones would soon fill Russian skies on a scale that cannot be ignored, and that the era of safe overflights is ending.
"Russian airspace is effectively closing," Zelenskyy said, adding that Moscow has not been transparent with its citizens about the growing risks. He stressed that Ukraine does not target civilian aircraft, but that the presence of drones makes routine flights hazardous. "The safe days in Russia's skies are over," he declared.
The President called on the international community to push for a genuine peace settlement, saying that safety would only return to Russian airspace when there is "real movement toward peace." Until then, he said, the skies over Russia belong to drones, not passenger planes.
His remarks came after a night of intense Russian bombardment on Kyiv and eight other regions, which killed at least a dozen people and wounded more, including children. The attack, which lasted over 12 hours, used cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and drones, and coincided with the start of the new school year for millions of Ukrainian children.
This marked the sixth consecutive day of heavy strikes on the capital, a relentless campaign that has raised alarm about the escalating conflict. Zelenskyy's warning to airlines underscores the broader risks of the war, which has now entered its fifth year.