Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during the reburial ceremony for Colonel Yevhen Konovalets on August 18, 2026 in kyiv, Ukraine. Diego Fedele | Getty Images News | Getty Images Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged airlines to avoid Russian airspace as kyiv expands its drone operations. “We want to warn all airlines using Russian airspace, all insurers and all those still using Russia’s key airports: Russian airspace is becoming completely unsafe,” Zelenskyy said Tuesday in his afternoon speech. of war for Moscow. The President of Ukraine said it is important for airlines currently flying to airports in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other key destinations in Russia to take note of the elevated risk in the airspace. Zelenskyy insisted that civil aviation would not be in danger, before adding: “There will simply be drones in the skies of Russia on a scale that must be taken into account.” Most Western commercial airlines do not fly into Russian airspace due to Moscow’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, some Chinese and Gulf state airlines, including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, continue to use Russian airspace. Responding to Zelenskyy’s comments, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the threat amounted to a declaration of “state terrorism.” He added that the Kremlin would continue to escalate its own attacks against Ukraine. Speaking to reporters at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday, Putin also ruled out the idea of resuming negotiations, saying: “You don’t negotiate with terrorists.” ‘Massive attacks’ Ukraine closed its airspace to civilian aircraft after Russia launched its full-scale invasion. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and our other institutions will provide international organizations with complete information about the dangers in Russian airspace. Drone-infested skies are no place for civil aviation,” Zelenskyy said. Read more of CNBC’s Russia-Ukraine coverage: Earlier in the week, Russia’s Defense Ministry said it is planning “massive attacks” against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, amplifying fears of another winter assault. Russian forces have stepped up missile attacks on Ukrainian cities as kyiv faces a shortage of air defense equipment. Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.
