Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a warning on September 1, 2026, to airlines, insurers, and entities using Russian airspace and key airports, stating that safe days in Russia's skies are over. He emphasized that Ukraine does not threaten civil aircraft, but noted that drone activity in Russian airspace will reach a scale that operators must take into account.
In response to the warning, Russian President Vladimir Putin characterized Zelenskyy's statement as a declaration of state terrorism.
Despite the statement, air travel over Russia appeared to continue normally on September 2, 2026. Data from Flightradar24 indicated that domestic and international carriers, including Emirates and Turkish Airlines, were continuing operations in the airspace.
