Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has not formally closed Russian airspace, but he has urged airlines and insurers to treat Russian skies as de facto closed due to intensified drone operations.
What did Zelensky say?
In his evening address on 1 September 2026, the Ukrainian president stated:
„We want to warn every airline that uses Russian airspace, every insurer, and everyone who still uses key Russian airports: Russian skies are becoming completely dangerous.”
He added that Ukraine does not threaten civil aviation and does not attack passenger aircraft. The problem lies in the scale of unmanned operations:
„Simply put, there will be drones in the Russian sky on such a scale that it must be taken into account. The war unleashed by Russia is closing its own sky.”
Context
Western airlines have barely flown over Russia since 2022 in any case. The warning mainly concerns carriers from China, Turkey and the Persian Gulf states, which still use Russian airspace and airports in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Zelensky announced that the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will pass information about the threats to international aviation organisations.
Moscow's response
Vladimir Putin called Zelensky’s words a „declaration of state terrorism” and announced that Russia „will find a way to respond”.
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