Ukraine urges global aviation watchdog to back ban on flights over Russian airspace.
Ukraine has urged the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to call on its member states to completely prohibit civilian aircraft operations in Russian airspace, warning that the skies are becoming increasingly unsafe amid the escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The appeal came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned that Russian airspace was “becoming completely unsafe” as Ukrainian drones increasingly operate over Russian territory.
In a letter to ICAO chairman Juan Carlos Salazar, Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister Mykola Kalashnyk said Kyiv wanted to minimise the risk of a tragedy involving civilian aircraft. Ukraine asked ICAO to encourage aviation authorities and airlines to safeguard civil aviation, including by facilitating a full ban on civilian operations within Russian airspace.
The warning comes amid heightened tensions and intensified Russian strikes on Kyiv, which has faced continuous air-raid alerts for seven days, according to Ukrainian officials.
Zelenskiy said Ukraine’s retaliation would focus on Russian military facilities and would not intentionally threaten civilian aircraft, but argued that the growing presence of Ukrainian drones in Russian skies must be taken into account.
Moscow strongly rejected the warning. Russian President Vladimir Putin described Zelenskiy’s comments as “state terrorism”, while Russian authorities said they would work to prevent disruption to civilian aviation.
The aviation risks have already had deadly consequences. In December 2024, an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger aircraft attempting to reach Grozny crash-landed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people. Putin later acknowledged that Russian air-defence missiles had detonated near the aircraft after Ukrainian drones entered the area.
Ukraine itself has kept its airspace closed to civilian traffic since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Its airports remain shut, while SkyUp, Ukraine’s only surviving airline, operates from neighbouring Moldova.
The latest dispute highlights an increasingly difficult question for international aviation: how can airlines safely operate over regions where military activity and drone warfare are rapidly expanding?
