The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has assured that several airlines have begun to cancel their connections with Russia after he publicly demanded that they suspend their operations in the country, claiming that Russian airspace will be "effectively closed" due to the increase in drone attacks carried out by Ukrainian forces.
"We are receiving news that the first airlines have begun to suspend flights to Russian airports following our announcement about the danger posed by drones in Russian airspace," he indicated in a message to the nation, emphasizing that this is "the correct and perfectly logical response" to the current war scenario.
In this regard, he stressed that "everything derives from the war that (the president of Russia, Vladimir) Putin does not want to end." "Lives must be protected. Ukraine has already officially informed international organizations and our partners about the real situation in Russian airspace," he concluded.
On Tuesday, Zelensky had already warned that "Russian airspace is becoming completely unsafe," while defending that "Ukraine does not threaten civil aviation as such." "There will simply be drones in Russian skies on a scale that must be taken into account," he added then.
"An airspace infested with drones is not a place for civil aviation," Zelensky reiterated, who insisted that "this escalation cannot and will not be confined to Ukrainian territory." "It is absolutely natural and fair that the consequences also extend to Russia, including its airspace, which is already and will increasingly be space for our drones and missiles, which respond actively and justly to the Russian war," he argued.
In parallel, the Russian Minister of Transport, Andrei Nikitin, stated on Wednesday that the country's authorities will guarantee the protection of civil aviation in their skies. "We are constantly improving air and airport security requirements, and there are responses to all this. There are responses to all these threats expressed by terrorists," he emphasized.
Likewise, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported this Thursday that its air defense systems have shot down more than 415 Ukrainian drones in recent hours. According to the mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, about 40 would have been intercepted in the vicinity of the capital, with no casualties or material damage reported so far.
The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia (Rosaviatsiya) indicated that Domodedovo Airport, in Moscow, has temporarily suspended takeoffs and landings "to ensure the safety of flights," without providing further details. It also added that Sheremetyevo Airport is operating "in coordination with the relevant authorities" due to "restrictions on the use of airspace."