Moscow Dismisses Kyiv’s Airspace Alert as Fact‑Twisting

The Russian Foreign Ministry erupted on Friday, branding Kyiv’s recent notice that Russian airspace is “unsafe for civilian aviation” as a blatant distortion of facts. According to the ministry’s statement, the Ukrainian claim misleads users of Russian skies and, crucially, has no legal standing.

In the same breath, Moscow lodged a “firm protest” against what it described as Ukraine’s reckless, terrorist‑like actions that flout international law. The ministry warned that such remarks pose a direct threat to civil aviation safety and said Russian authorities are already in touch with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), having sent an urgent appeal to its secretary‑general.

From Kyiv’s side, President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned international airlines earlier this week that Russian airspace was becoming “completely unsafe” as Ukraine responds to an “escalation” in missile and drone attacks. He urged carriers to reroute flights, citing the heightened danger.

Meanwhile, Russian officials pointed to a surge in attacks on their own territory. On Thursday, they said Ukrainian forces launched hundreds of drones and artillery strikes across the Belgorod and Moscow regions, killing one civilian and wounding 21 others. Belgorod’s acting governor, Alexander Shuvayev, reported 178 attacks in a single day, while Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claimed Russian air defences shot down 548 drones in just 24 hours.

One of the drone hits sparked a blaze at a plant in the Bogorodsky district of the Moscow region, prompting emergency crews to respond, regional governor Andrei Vorobyov said.

In a broader context, President Vladimir Putin this week said talks on Ukraine have stalled and brushed off speculation about a new mobilisation after the State Duma election as “nonsense”. He reaffirmed Russia’s willingness to negotiate, provided the talks are substantive and aimed at a lasting peace for Ukraine and Europe.

All told, the back‑and‑forth underscores how rapidly the dispute over airspace safety has become another flashpoint in the wider conflict, with both sides accusing the other of endangering civilian lives.