Foreign Airlines Cancel Russia Flights After Kyiv Airspace Warning

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that the first airlines had begun suspending flights to Russian airports after Kyiv warned of growing risks from Ukrainian drone operations in Russian airspace.

“We’re getting word that the first airlines have started to suspend flights to Russian airports,” Zelensky said in his evening address, calling it a “logical response” to the risks created by the war.

The warning came as Moscow airports faced widespread disruption and several foreign carriers canceled services.

Flight-tracking data cited by Reuters showed 21 cancellations and 235 delays at Sheremetyevo International Airport on Wednesday, while Vnukovo recorded 22 cancellations and 94 delays.

Independent Russian outlet Agentstvo, citing its analysis of Moscow airport schedules, said foreign airlines canceled 27 flights to and from the Russian capital on Wednesday – sharply more than the previous day.

The cancellations included services by Pegasus Airlines, Turkish Airlines, flydubai, Nesma Airlines, Shirak Avia, Kuwait Airways and Somon Air.

Pegasus said some Russia flights were canceled for “technical and operational” reasons, while flydubai warned of possible delays and diversions.

Kyiv warns of growing risk

Explaining the heightened risk in Russian airspace during his Tuesday evening address, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine does not target civilian aircraft and wants to avoid innocent casualties.

“There will simply be drones in Russia’s skies on a scale that has to be taken into account,” he said.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a statement on X: “We want to prevent unintended incidents,” adding: “The war is returning home to Russia.”

Ukraine has formally notified the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) about the risks and urged the UN aviation agency to encourage member states to prohibit civilian flights in Russian airspace.

ICAO said civilian aircraft face heightened risks of being targeted or caught in crossfire in conflict zones.

Most European and US carriers have avoided Russian airspace since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, while airlines from countries including China, Turkey and Gulf states continue to operate there.

Moscow rejected Kyiv’s warning, with Russian aviation authorities insisting that airport and foreign airline operations were continuing.

Russia’s aviation sector already under strain

The latest disruption comes as Russia’s aviation industry has faced growing pressure since Moscow’s full-scale invasion cut its airlines off from official Western aircraft parts and maintenance support.

Russian aviation authorities recorded a sharp rise in commercial aviation accidents in 2024, with the number doubling to 16 from eight in 2023. Fatalities rose from 12 to 37, according to data published by Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency.

In July 2025, an Antonov An-24 operated by Angara Airlines crashed near Tynda in Russia’s Far East, killing all 48 people on board. 

In December 2024, an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet crashed after being hit during Russian air-defense operations against Ukrainian drones, killing 38 people. President Vladimir Putin later apologized for what the Kremlin called a “tragic incident” in Russian airspace, without explicitly acknowledging that Russia had shot down the plane.

Russia has also suffered deadly military aviation accidents since launching the invasion. In October 2022, an Su-34 fighter-bomber crashed into an apartment building in Yeysk, killing at least 15 people. Six days later, an Su-30 crashed into a house in Irkutsk during a test flight, killing both pilots. Russian authorities initially attributed the Yeysk crash to a technical malfunction.

A war returning to Russia

The disruption in Russian aviation comes as Ukraine continues to endure a far heavier toll from Moscow’s air campaign against civilians and infrastructure across the country.

Sept. 2 marked the seventh consecutive day of Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, killing civilians, including children, damaging residential areas and repeatedly forcing residents into shelters.

Russian attacks have also continued elsewhere in Ukraine, damaging energy infrastructure and homes and causing civilian casualties. 

The contrast is stark: while Russia is increasingly experiencing aviation disruption from a war reaching deeper into its territory, Ukrainians have lived with missile and drone attacks since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

The growing disruption to Russian aviation is a reminder that Russia started this war and Russia can stop it.