Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned airlines, insurers and operators using Russian airports that airspace over Russia is becoming increasingly hazardous as Ukraine expands drone strikes inside Russian territory.
In his nightly address on Tuesday, Zelensky said the conflict launched by Russia was effectively forcing Russian airspace towards closure. He directed the warning at carriers still operating routes to Russian airports, particularly those serving major cities including Moscow and St Petersburg.
Zelensky said Ukraine was not targeting civilian aviation and stated that no civilian aircraft was under threat as such. However, he said drones would be present in Russian skies at a level airlines and other aviation-sector participants would need to factor into their decisions.
Airspace risk concerns
Most Western commercial carriers have avoided Russian airspace since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Chinese, Turkish and Gulf state airlines remain among the carriers using it, benefiting from shorter and less fuel-intensive routes between Asia and Europe.
Ukraine has kept its own airspace closed to civilian flights since the start of the war. Its operations have included strikes on energy sites well inside Russia and on large retail businesses, according to the report.
Osprey Flight Solutions, an aviation risk advisory company, told clients that most Ukrainian drone and missile attacks were likely to remain within 300km of the border. But it said near-daily strikes deeper in Russia were almost certain to continue during the year, and that the pace of such operations could rise in the near term. The firm also assessed that miscalculation or mistaken identification was likely in areas connected to the conflict.
Russian response
Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned Zelensky’s remarks while speaking to reporters at the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan, describing them as a declaration of state terrorism. Putin said Russia would not negotiate with terrorists and indicated that Russian attacks on Ukraine would continue to intensify.
Russia’s military has said it is preparing what it called massive strikes on Ukrainian power stations. Heavy Russian attacks on Monday killed 12 people, according to the report. Putin also acknowledged damage to infrastructure within Russia from Ukrainian strikes, while maintaining that only 10% of oil refineries remained in need of repair.
Source: BBC News
