Zelenskyy says foreign airlines suspend Russia flights after Ukrainian warning
LONDON -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that the first airlines had begun suspending flights to Russian airports following his vow earlier this week to force the closure of Russian airspace through expanded drone attacks.
"We're getting word that the first airlines have started to suspend flights to Russian airports following our announcement about the drone hazard that objectively exists in Russian airspace," Zelenskyy said in a post to X.
"Ukraine has already officially informed international organizations and our partners about the real situation in Russian airspace," Zelenskyy added.
Disruption to Russian airports and flights have become routine during 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.
Each night brings temporary restrictions on flights at airports across western and southern Russia, which also often extend to Moscow's international airports.
Ukraine's airspace has been closed since Russia's full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022. This week, Zelenskyy said that due to "drone infested skies," Russian airspace "will effectively be closing -- the war started by Russia is closing its skies."
On Wednesday night into Thursday morning, Russia's federal air transport agency -- Rosaviatsiya -- announced temporary flight restrictions at airports in Sochi, Gelendzhik, Penza, Saratov, Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod.
All four of Moscow's international airports -- Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky -- were also put under flight restrictions, Rosaviatsiya said in posts to Telegram.
Russia's Defense Ministry said that its forces downed 416 Ukrainian drones overnight into Thursday morning. The craft were shot down over 15 Russian regions, plus occupied Crimea and the Black Sea, the ministry said in a post to Telegram.
At least 116 drones were shot down en route to Moscow, the capital's Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said in posts to Telegram.
Russian authorities have dismissed Zelenskyy's warning. On Wednesday evening, Rosaviatsiya said in a statement that Ukraine's NOTAM -- a Notice to Air Missions, an official warning to air crews of flight hazards -- was "illegitimate."
"All documents published by Ukraine concerning Russian airspace have no legal force and violate the Convention on International Civil Aviation," Rosaviatsiya added. "Russian air transport, its ground infrastructure, continue to operate normally, receiving and dispatching flights, including those of foreign airlines."
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said Zelenskyy's threat constituted "state‑sponsored terrorism." The Russian leader added that if any related air accidents occur, "We will find something to respond with."
Ukraine has significantly expanded the scale of its drone attacks into Russia in recent months, according to data published by Russia's Defense Ministry and analyzed by ABC News.
Across August, the ministry said it shot down 18,174 Ukrainian drones -- at an average rate of around 586 each day -- as well as 56 Flamingo cruise missiles.
August was the fourth month in a row that the ministry reported a new record-high total for the number of Ukrainian drones shot down. In July, the ministry said it downed 13,312 Ukrainian drones, in June 11,914 craft and in May 9,418.
