“Today we want to warn every airline that uses Russian airspace, every insurer, and everyone who still uses the main Russian airports: Russian airspace is becoming completely dangerous,” emphasized V. Zelensky.
Read more Russian Deputy Foreign Minister: Moscow does not plan to attack the Baltic states
At the same time, the president noted that Ukraine does not pose a threat to civil aviation itself – not to any civilian aircraft.
“There will simply be so many drones in the Russian sky that it is worth paying attention to. Although the Russian authorities do not properly report this, Russian airspace will be ‘de facto’ closed: the war started by Russia is closing its own sky,” emphasized V. Zelensky.
As the president noted, Ukraine does not want innocent people to die.
For this reason, V. Zelensky warned partners:
“The airspace over Russia is no longer safe. It is important that this is heard both by ambassadors working here in Ukraine and those working in Moscow. Each of them knows very well what the Russian war means for our country and our people, so they must convey this information to their capitals.”
The head of state added that it is important that this warning is also heard by the relevant airlines currently operating flights to airports primarily in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other main destinations in Russia.
According to V. Zelensky, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant Ukrainian institutions will provide detailed information to international organizations about the dangers in Russian airspace.
“Civil aviation has no place among drones,” the president noted.
August recorded a record number of strikes on Russian oil refineries. Ukrainian attacks caused a second wave of fuel shortages in Russia.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently visited Russia. Ukraine had even stopped possible strikes on Moscow. However, Vladimir Putin, who started the war, refused to meet with the CIA director, although J. Ratcliffe came to Moscow intending to urge the Russian leadership to start negotiations to end the war as soon as possible.
The CIA director expressed the assessment that Russia’s military and economic situation is deteriorating, so it would be more beneficial for Moscow to agree now rather than wait for further weakening of its positions.
