Russian Airspace Will Effectively Be Closing – The War Started by Russia Is Closing Its Skies – Address by the President

Dear Ukrainians and everyone around the world who wants this war to end!

You can all see that the Russians have changed the tactics of their attacks on Ukraine, and since August, they have been terrorizing our people, our cities, and our villages on a much greater scale. Today, on September 1, when millions of children in different countries are going to school in peace, here in Ukraine, millions of children are, unfortunately, being forced to go to shelters and study there, waiting there for the Russian attacks to stop. We have air raid alerts and “shaheds” all day long.

Last night, there was another Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv and numerous drone strikes on our other cities. On ordinary people, on ordinary life. Russia is trying to destroy our energy system, our infrastructure. Today, Russian missiles struck another railway depot – a place where there was no military equipment whatsoever and which has absolutely nothing to do with the war. This is nothing but Russian terror against civilians.

From the very beginning of this full-scale aggression, Russia has tried to blockade our ports, and because of Russian strikes on Ukraine, our airspace has been closed to civilian aviation. Our roads and railways are constantly under Russian attack, as are our universities and businesses. Even schools and churches are targets for the Russians – everything that exists here in Ukraine. We did not choose this war, and we certainly did not want this escalation. It is entirely Russia’s desire, Putin’s desire, to prolong the war and increase the scale of its strikes. It was Russian aggression that made the skies over Ukraine and Europe, and even over Russia itself, dangerous. It was from Russia that the first missiles and the first drones came, and they crossed our country’s border from Russian airspace.

This escalation cannot and will not remain confined to Ukrainian territory. It is entirely natural and just that its consequences will also extend to Russia – including Russian airspace, which already is, and will increasingly become, a space for our drones and our missiles that are actively and justly responding to Russia’s war – responding to Russian strikes. And we are exercising our right to self-defense by striking Russian military targets and the part of the economy that serves the war effort. This is our defense.

Today, we want to warn every airline that uses Russian airspace, every insurer, and everyone who still uses Russia’s key airports: Russian airspace is becoming completely unsafe. Ukraine does not threaten civilian aviation as such – not a single civilian aircraft. There will simply be drones in Russia’s skies on a scale that has to be taken into account. Although the Russian authorities are not properly informing people about this, Russian airspace will effectively be closing – the war started by Russia is closing its skies. We in Ukraine do not want innocent lives to be lost. That is why we are warning our partners: the safe days in Russia’s skies are over. It is important that this is heard by the ambassadors of countries represented here in Ukraine, as well as by ambassadors working in Moscow. Every one of them knows exactly what Russia’s war means for our country and our people, and they must convey this information to their capitals. It is important that the airlines currently flying to airports primarily in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other key destinations in Russia hear this as well. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and our other institutions will provide international organizations with full information about the dangers in Russian airspace. Drone-infested skies are no place for civilian aviation.

But Ukraine is a country of peace. And we truly respect the fact that our partners want to help bring this war to an end. We support every such effort. When the Americans asked us to pause strikes on Moscow and St. Petersburg on August 25, 26, and 27, we observed that pause. There were no strikes, while strikes on Ukraine continued. When another global power asked us to pause strikes in the direction of Vladivostok for a specified period of time, we agreed to ensure that as well. New meetings in Moscow are now being prepared, and we will take that into account. We always support every step toward peace – every step to prevent Russia from making this war endless. The war needs to end, and leaders are right to tell Putin this. So, for the sake of diplomacy and negotiations, whenever our partners approach us about this, we will ensure that Russian skies are cleared of drones for specified periods of time and along specified routes. Safety will return to Russia’s skies. It will be restored when there is real movement toward peace. For now, the skies over Russia are for drones – not for civilian aviation. As long as the war continues. It is important that the world help bring it to an end.

I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!