Russian regulator says airspace safe despite Ukrainian warnings

Russia's federal air transport regulator, Rosaviatsia, has dismissed Ukrainian claims that drone strikes on military targets put civil flights over Russia at risk, calling them illegitimate.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned on 1 September that the expanding use of drones against military targets posed a threat to civil aviation in Russia. Rosaviatsia accused Ukrainian aviation authorities of backing what it called terrorist rhetoric aimed at destabilising Russian air transport.

The regulator issued a NOTAM stating that all documents published by Ukraine regarding Russian airspace are null and void and violate international civil aviation conventions. Russian air transport and ground infrastructure continue scheduled operations, including flights by foreign airlines, it said. Additional measures are being implemented for safe use of Russian airspace.

ICAO, without naming either country, reminded member states that the Chicago Convention requires protection of civil aircraft from conflict-zone risks and explicitly prohibits use of weapons against them. The agency cited heightened risks of civil aircraft being targeted or caught in crossfire from long-range weapons, uncrewed aircraft systems, and disruption to satellite-based navigation. ICAO called for stronger commitments and said states must assess the safety of airspace they control.