Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a warning on Tuesday night to airlines, insurance companies, and all parties still using Russia’s major airports, stating that with the increase in drone activities, Russian airspace has become increasingly dangerous.
Recently, Ukraine has intensified drone attacks on Russian territory. Zelensky posted a video speech on his Instagram account on Tuesday, saying, “Although the Russian authorities have not accurately informed the public about this, Russian airspace is effectively closing – this war initiated by Russia is closing its own sky. We in Ukraine do not want innocent lives to suffer further losses.”
He said, “That is why we need to warn our partners: the safety of the Russian sky is over.”
“Today, we want to remind all airlines using Russian airspace, every insurance company, and everyone still using Russia’s major airports: Russian airspace is becoming extremely dangerous.”
President Zelensky clarified, “Ukraine is not threatening civilian aviation itself, nor any civilian aircraft. It’s just that drones will appear in Russian airspace, so this situation must be taken into consideration.”
Zelensky also urged foreign diplomats to convey the risks faced by civil aviation to their respective governments.
He said, “Every ambassador understands what the Russian war means for my country and my people and should convey this information to their governments. It’s important to make airlines currently flying to Russian airports hear this warning, especially those flying to Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other major Russian cities.”
Zelensky confirmed that the Ukrainian capital Kiev and other cities have recently been hit by a large number of Russian drone and ballistic missile attacks, resulting in many civilian casualties.
Data from the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine shows that Russian airstrikes in July resulted in the deaths of 437 Ukrainian civilians, the highest in a single month since May 2022; child casualties also reached a new high for the same period: 17 children killed and 166 injured. Civilian casualties from airstrikes increased significantly compared to June.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Zelensky’s warning sounded like “state terrorism” and vowed to respond.
German officials also accused Russia on Tuesday of being the mastermind behind last month’s drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
In the ongoing four-year war, Ukraine is accelerating the production of long-range weapons and expanding its inventory of drones and cruise missiles. Recent drone attacks on Russia have achieved significant results.
Oleg Krot, founder of Ukrainian weapons manufacturer Culver Aerospace, recently told The Wall Street Journal, “Two years ago, Russia’s advantage was that it was a huge country we couldn’t reach.”
Krot also said that Ukraine’s current new weapon development is “just the beginning, in the coming years they will show their true power.”