Russia vows to keep airspace open despite Ukraine threats

Russia has vowed to protect civil aviation from disruption after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned airlines and insurers that the country’s airspace is becoming increasingly risky because of drone warfare.

However, news agency Reuters reported that the warning is already having an impact. Moscow’s major airports reported hundreds of delays and dozens of cancellations Wednesday, while some international airlines canceled services to Russia.

Russian Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin said Moscow was working with the Defense Ministry and National Guard to strengthen aviation security.

“We will not allow any significant disruption to civil aviation,” he said, according to Interfax.

Reuters further reported that Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, rejected Ukraine’s warning to the International Civil Aviation Organization, saying Kyiv’s approach had no legal force and violated international aviation rules.

It insisted Russian airports and air transport were operating normally, including flights by foreign carriers.

But the operational picture was less reassuring.

According to Flightradar24 data cited by Reuters, Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport had recorded 21 cancellations and 235 delays, while Vnukovo had 22 cancellations and 94 delays.

Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines canceled flights to Russia, citing technical and operational reasons. The airline did not provide further details.

Dubai-based flydubai also warned passengers that delays and diversions could occur as it monitored the situation.

The developments are particularly significant for international airlines that continue to use Russian airspace such as air carriers from China, Turkey, the UAE and other Gulf states.

Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Etihad and Emirates had not responded to Reuters requests for comment.

Zelenskiy said Tuesday that Ukraine was not targeting civil aviation but warned that Russia’s war was effectively making its own airspace unsafe. Ukraine has also formally notified ICAO of its concerns.

Aviation risk adviser Osprey Flight Solutions warned that drone and missile strikes could continue deeper inside Russia through 2026, including around Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Continued drone activity could then increase route diversions, delays, insurance concerns and operational costs on flights serving Russia and using its airspace.

Reporting by Reuters; adapted for TravelMole.