Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned on Thursday that the primary airways had begun suspending flights to Russian airports following his vow earlier this week to pressure the closure of Russian airspace by expanded drone assaults.
“We’re getting phrase that the primary airways have began to droop flights to Russian airports following our announcement concerning the drone hazard that objectively exists in Russian airspace,” Zelenskyy mentioned in a put up to X.
“Ukraine has already formally knowledgeable worldwide organizations and our companions about the true scenario in Russian airspace,” Zelenskyy added.
Disruption to Russian airports and flights have grow to be routine throughout Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor, as Ukraine has expanded its long-range drone and missile strikes on targets deep into Russian territory.
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Marina Lystseva/Reuters – PHOTO: This file picture exhibits planes parked at Sheremetyevo Worldwide Airport exterior Moscow, Russia, on July 19, 2026.
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Every evening brings momentary restrictions on flights at airports throughout western and southern Russia, which additionally usually prolong to Moscow’s worldwide airports.
Ukraine’s airspace has been closed since Russia’s full-scale invasion started on Feb. 24, 2022. This week, Zelenskyy mentioned that because of “drone infested skies,” Russian airspace “will successfully be closing — the conflict began by Russia is closing its skies.”
On Wednesday evening into Thursday morning, Russia’s federal air transport company — Rosaviatsiya — introduced momentary flight restrictions at airports in Sochi, Gelendzhik, Penza, Saratov, Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod.
All 4 of Moscow’s worldwide airports — Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky — had been additionally put below flight restrictions, Rosaviatsiya mentioned in posts to Telegram.
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Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned that its forces downed 416 Ukrainian drones in a single day into Thursday morning. The craft had been shot down over 15 Russian areas, plus occupied Crimea and the Black Sea, the ministry mentioned in a put up to Telegram.
Not less than 116 drones had been shot down en path to Moscow, the capital’s Mayor Sergey Sobyanin mentioned in posts to Telegram.
Russian authorities have dismissed Zelenskyy’s warning. On Wednesday night, Rosaviatsiya mentioned in a press release that Ukraine’s NOTAM — a Discover to Air Missions, an official warning to air crews of flight hazards — was “illegitimate.”
“All paperwork revealed by Ukraine regarding Russian airspace haven’t any authorized pressure and violate the Conference on Worldwide Civil Aviation,” Rosaviatsiya added. “Russian air transport, its floor infrastructure, proceed to function usually, receiving and dispatching flights, together with these of overseas airways.”
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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday mentioned Zelenskyy’s menace constituted “state‑sponsored terrorism.” The Russian chief added that if any associated air accidents happen, “We are going to discover one thing to reply with.”
Ukraine has considerably expanded the dimensions of its drone assaults into Russia in latest months, based on information revealed by Russia’s Protection Ministry and analyzed by ABC Information.
Throughout August, the ministry mentioned it shot down 18,174 Ukrainian drones — at a median price of round 586 every day — in addition to 56 Flamingo cruise missiles.
August was the fourth month in a row that the ministry reported a brand new record-high whole for the variety of Ukrainian drones shot down. In July, the ministry mentioned it downed 13,312 Ukrainian drones, in June 11,914 craft and in Could 9,418.
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