Ukraine tells UN aviation watchdog that Russian airspace 'not safe'
Ukraine has formally notified the International Civil Aviation Organization that Russian airspace is unsafe due to ongoing drone strikes. The warning follows reciprocal drone and missile attacks between the two nations, with both sides trading accusations of terrorism and illegitimacy.
Why it matters
This escalation poses significant risks to international aviation safety and highlights the expanding geographic scope of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Ukraine said on Wednesday (September 3, 2026) it had formally notified the International Civil Aviation Organization that Russian airspace was "not safe", following repeated Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian territory.
The ICAO, a United Nations agency that regulates and establishes standards for civil aviation, made no immediate public comment.
Russia's aviation watchdog called Ukraine's warnings illegitimate and "invalid".
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv has launched retaliatory drone strikes on targets inside Russia, hitting energy and military infrastructure hundreds of kilometres from the front line.
The strikes come at a time when Moscow has launched waves of deadly drone and missile barrages at Ukrainian towns and cities.
"Against the backdrop of Russia's drastic escalation of terror against Ukraine, Russian airspace is becoming increasingly unsafe," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said on X.
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