Ukraine Calls for UN Support to Ban Civil Flights in Russian Airspace
Ukraine Urges ICAO Action Amid Rising Aviation Risks
By Yuliia Dysa and Allison Lampert
Ukrainian Concerns Over Airspace Safety
KYIV/MONTREAL Sept 2 (Reuters) - Ukraine has urged the U.N.'s aviation agency to ask its members to fully ban operations in Russian airspace, a day after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned it was "becoming completely unsafe".
On Tuesday, top Ukrainian officials said the country would step up retaliation against Russia's intensified strikes on Kyiv, which has been under continuous air raid alerts for seven days and has suffered hits on civilian infrastructure.
Targeting Military Facilities Only
Ukraine would only target Russian military facilities and not threaten civilian aircraft, Zelenskiy added, but he stressed that the growing number of Ukrainian drones in Russian skies should "be taken into account".
Ukraine's Appeal to ICAO
In a letter to International Civil Aviation Organization Chairman Juan Carlos Salazar, a copy of which was exclusively shared with Reuters, Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Mykola Kalashnyk said Kyiv believed the risk of tragedies in the skies should be minimised.
Ukraine asked ICAO to encourage aviation authorities and airlines to safeguard civil aviation, "including by facilitating the full prohibition by ICAO member states of civil aircraft operations within the airspace of the Russian Federation".
Current Airspace Usage
While European and U.S. carriers do not fly over Russia due to the war that erupted when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the airspace is used by airlines from countries such as China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states.
ICAO's Role and Response
ICAO cannot impose rules on its 193 member countries, but its decisions influence national policies. The Montreal-based U.N. agency uses consensus to set standards on everything from runways to seat belts.
ICAO's Statement on Aviation Risks
While not mentioning any specific country, ICAO on Wednesday warned in a statement that the risk of weapons targeting commercial planes is growing and called for stronger commitments from countries to protect aircraft from conflict zone risks.
"ICAO is observing heightened risks of civil aircraft being targeted or caught in crossfire," the statement said. "While the aviation industry is able to reroute flights and maintain operations during conflicts, this operational flexibility does not address the fundamental security threat."
Impacts and Reactions
Analysis from Aviation Risk Firms
Aviation risk advisory firm Osprey Flight Solutions said in an analysis that Ukraine's drone and missile attacks have already demonstrated their reach deep into Russia, leading to airport closures and flight cancellations.
Osprey's Perspective
"Zelenskiy is articulating publicly what Ukraine has been doing for months: systematically disrupting Russian airspace," Osprey said.
Russian Response
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Zelenskiy's comments amounted to "state terrorism". Moscow on Wednesday vowed to head off any disruption to civil aviation.
Recent Aviation Incidents
In 2024, 38 people were killed when an Azerbaijan Airlines plane heading to Russia's Grozny crash-landed in Kazakhstan after diverting from its course. Putin later said two Russian missiles detonated near the aircraft after Ukrainian drones entered the airspace.
Background: Ukraine's Airspace Closure
Ukraine closed its airspace to civilian traffic when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, unleashing missile barrages without issuing warnings to civilian aircraft in Ukrainian airspace.
Airports have remained closed ever since, and SkyUp, Ukraine's only surviving airline, now operates from neighbouring Moldova.
(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa and Allison Lampert; Editing by Alex Richardson, Ros Russell and Jamie Freed)
