Moscow airports have canceled and delayed hundreds of flights after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russian airspace would become virtually closed to civil aviation due to the threat from Ukrainian drones.
According to FlightRadar24 data, during the night of September 2 at Sheremetyevo Airport, 21 flights were canceled and 235 were delayed, while at Vnukovo, 22 flights were canceled and 94 others were delayed, media reports.
The situation continued on September 3. Almost all flights scheduled for the afternoon at Sheremetyevo were delayed or canceled. Similar problems were reported at Vnukovo airport.
One of the companies that canceled flights was Turkey's Pegasus Airlines. The company said that flights to Russia scheduled for the night of September 1 and 2 were canceled for "technical and operational reasons," while stating that from September 2 operations would proceed as planned.
Zelensky's warning came after Ukraine notified the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that Russian airspace is not safe for civil aviation due to increased military activity and drone attacks.
Moscow has denied the claims, saying it will take measures to ensure aviation security. However, air traffic data shows that drone attacks have caused significant disruptions at airports in the Russian capital.
Zelensky has warned that Ukrainian drone activity will continue, while Ukrainian authorities have called on airlines and insurers to take into account the increased risk when flying over Russian territory. /Telegraph
