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“Safe days in Russia’s skies are over,” Zelenskyy warns
🇱🇹 Lithuania /Conflict & Security

“Safe days in Russia’s skies are over,” Zelenskyy warns

From Delfi · () Lithuanian

Translated from Lithuanian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian drones would make Russian airspace unsafe throughout the war and warned airlines, insurers and users of major Russian airports.
  • He said Ukraine did not threaten civilian aviation directly, but that the scale of drone activity required consideration.
  • Vladimir Putin called the remarks a declaration of “state terrorism,” after recent Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least 12 people in Kyiv and surrounding areas.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a stark warning to airlines using Russian airspace: “Russian airspace is becoming completely unsafe.” He also addressed insurers and those still using Russia’s major airports, saying the skies would remain filled with drones for as long as the war continued.

Russian airspace is becoming completely unsafe.

— Volodymyr ZelenskyyThe Ukrainian president warned airlines, insurers and airport users about growing drone activity over Russia.

The Ukrainian president said Ukraine itself posed no threat to civilian aviation or civilian aircraft. The danger, he argued, came from the scale of drone activity over Russia. “A sky infected with drones is no place for civil aviation,” Zelenskyy said, adding that “the sky over Russia currently belongs to drones” while the war goes on.

Air traffic at Russian airports has been disrupted repeatedly by approaching Ukrainian drones, with attacks increasing in recent months. Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified long-range strikes, while diplomatic efforts led by the United States have stalled more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine itself poses no threat to civil aviation, to any civilian aircraft. There will simply be drones in Russia’s skies on a scale that must be taken into account.

— Volodymyr ZelenskyyHe distinguished Ukraine’s military operations from a direct threat to civilian aircraft.

Vladimir Putin responded by describing Zelenskyy’s comments as a declaration of “state terrorism.” Speaking at a televised news conference, Putin said Russia was being asked to resume negotiations, but added: “You do not negotiate with terrorists.”

A sky infected with drones is no place for civil aviation.

— Volodymyr ZelenskyyHe argued that sustained drone activity made Russian airspace unsuitable for civilian flights.

Zelenskyy said the warning followed recent Russian missile and drone strikes that killed at least 12 people in Kyiv and nearby areas. “We in Ukraine do not want innocent lives to be lost,” he said. “That is why we warn our partners: the safe days in Russia’s skies are over.”

You do not negotiate with terrorists.

— Vladimir PutinPutin responded to Zelenskyy’s warning while discussing calls to resume negotiations.
About this summary

Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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