Zelensky says airlines should avoid Russian airspace as Ukraine escalates drone operations

Ukraine's president has told airlines that Russian airspace will be effectively closing as his country escalates its drone strikes. We want to warn every airline that uses Russian airspace, every insurer, everyone who still uses key Russian airports: the Russian sky is becoming completely dangerous, Volodymyr Zelensky says. Most Western commercial airlines do not fly over Russia as a consequence of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, but carriers in countries such as China do. Russian President Vladimir Putin responded by saying that Zelensky's comments amounted to a declaration of state terrorism, while adding that Russia would continue its own intensifying attacks on Ukraine. Explaining the elevated airspace risk, Zelensky said: Ukraine does not threaten civilian aviation as such - not a single civilian aircraft.