Ukraine urges UN aviation body to ban flights over Russian airspace

Ukraine has written to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) asking its members to prohibit all civil aircraft operations in Russia. The request follows President Volodymyr Zelensky's warning that Russian airspace is becoming "completely unsafe" after a surge in Ukrainian drone activity.

Why the appeal matters

The move comes as Kyiv steps up retaliation for intensified Russian strikes on Kyiv, which has endured seven consecutive days of air‑raid alerts and damage to civilian infrastructure. While European and US carriers already avoid Russian routes, airlines from China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states continue to use the airspace, exposing passengers to potential conflict‑related hazards.

In a letter to ICAO Chairman Juan Carlos Salazar, Mykola Kalashnyk, Ukraine's infrastructure minister, said Kyiv believes the risk of tragedies in the skies must be minimised. He urged the agency to "facilitate the full prohibition by ICAO member states of civil aircraft operations within the airspace of the Russian Federation".

We will only target Russian military facilities and will not threaten civilian aircraft.

What could happen next

ICAO is expected to discuss the request at its next council meeting, where consensus among member states will be crucial. If the body issues a strong recommendation, countries may tighten their own flight‑path rules, potentially grounding more non‑European carriers from Russian routes.

Russia has already condemned Zelensky's statements as "state terrorism" and pledged to protect its civil aviation. The tension mirrors earlier incidents, such as the 2024 crash‑landing of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight after being diverted near the Russian border, which highlighted the danger of aircraft inadvertently entering conflict zones.

Analysts at Osprey Flight Solutions note that Ukraine's drone and missile strikes have already forced airport closures deep inside Russia, disrupting commercial schedules. A formal ICAO stance could amplify that disruption, prompting airlines to seek alternative corridors and reshaping global flight patterns.

For now, the aviation community watches closely as Kyiv pushes for a broader safety net, and ICAO weighs the diplomatic and operational implications of a full ban.