Zelensky’s stark warning: Russia’s skies under threat

Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russian airspace could become “completely unsafe” for civilian aviation as Ukraine dramatically increases its drone campaign.

The warning was presented as an advance notice to airlines, but it carries a much bigger strategic message. Kyiv is signalling that Russia’s relentless attacks on Ukraine’s cities could increasingly come with a cost for ordinary Russians.

Ukraine is taking the fight into Russian skies

Russia’s jet-powered Geran-4 drones have intensified attacks on Kyiv, forcing Ukraine to devote scarce air-defence resources to countering them. Zelensky’s response suggests defensive measures alone are no longer enough.

Ukraine currently launches around 300 drones into Russia each day, according to official figures, with Zelensky seeking to raise that number to 1,000. The existing campaign has already forced 3,626 temporary Russian airport closures this year, compared with 1,923 throughout 2025, according to Osprey Flight Solutions.

Moscow’s airports are becoming a pressure point

Moscow has emerged as a central target, with disruption hitting three of Russia’s busiest airports: Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo and Domodedovo.

The consequences are already being felt. Sheremetyevo cancelled 21 flights and suspended 235, while Vnukovo cancelled 22 and suspended 94. Turkish carrier Pegasus has also cancelled Moscow services.

The stakes are enormous for Russia, where vast distances make aviation crucial to keeping the country connected.

Putin faces an air-defence dilemma

A sustained campaign could force the Kremlin into difficult choices. Protecting Moscow and other major cities could require air-defence systems to be diverted from the battlefield, potentially creating openings elsewhere.

Ukraine has also targeted infrastructure supporting Moscow’s aviation network, including a refinery supplying kerosene to the capital’s airports.

The real target is pressure on the Kremlin

A Russian no-fly environment would not win the war by itself. But combined with battlefield resistance, sanctions and attacks on Russia’s war economy, sustained disruption could make the conflict increasingly visible — and costly — for Russian society.

For Zelensky, the objective is leverage: increasing pressure on Moscow to halt its air attacks and eventually accept a ceasefire without major Ukrainian concessions.

Ukraine’s drones can shut down Russian airspace – and force Putin to the table