Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that Kiev's drone and missile strikes on Russian territory will create increasing risks for civil aviation. In an evening address on September 1, he called on foreign airlines, insurers and diplomatic missions to take into account the dangers of flying in Russian airspace and said that it would “de facto be closed.” At the same time, Zelensky separately emphasized that Ukraine does not intend to attack civilian aircraft.
According to Zelensky, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and other relevant departments will also send information about the dangers of flights over Russia to international organizations.
“Today we want to warn every airline that uses Russian airspace, every insurer, everyone who still uses key Russian airports: Russian skies are becoming completely dangerous,” the Ukrainian president said.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine intends to continue to strike Russian military targets and that part of the economy that, according to Kyiv, is used for military operations.
“Ukraine does not threaten civil aviation as such – not a single civil aircraft. There will simply be drones in the skies of Russia, so this must be taken into account,” he emphasized. “Civil aviation has no place among drones.”
Zelensky said that Russian airspace would “de facto be closed” as a result of such attacks, and called on airlines flying to Moscow, St. Petersburg and other major Russian cities to pay special attention to the situation.
“We in Ukraine do not want to lose innocent lives, so we warn our partners: there are no safe moments in the skies of Russia,” the Ukrainian president said.
At the same time, Zelensky said that Kyiv is ready to temporarily stop attacks on certain Russian regions if diplomatic circumstances require it. According to him, at the request of the United States, Ukraine had already paused attacks on Moscow and St. Petersburg on August 19, 20 and 21 – a few days before CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Russia. Zelensky also said that Kyiv agreed to fulfill the request of “another world power” to temporarily refrain from attacks in the Vladivostok direction.
The President of Ukraine linked the end of the threat to Russian airspace with the end of hostilities.
“Safety will return to the skies of Russia. He will return when the real movement towards peace begins. The skies over Russia are now for drones. Not for civil aviation,” Zelensky said.
Later, at a press conference in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he was not aware of Zelensky’s statement, but compared it to “an application for state terrorism”
“Kyiv asks for the resumption of negotiations, asks for personal meetings, but they are not negotiating with terrorists,” the Russian president added.
Updated, added Putin quote
