AIRLINES have cancelled flights to Russia after Ukraine’s President Zelensky warned it was unsafe to fly in “drone-infested skies”.
Thousands of passengers were stranded as Zelensky vowed to close Russia’s airspace with waves of drone attacks, codenamed “Operation M&Ms”.
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Two passenger planes turned back in midair and several others were grounded after Zelensky warned: “The safe days in Russia’s skies are over.”
Ukraine has blitzed Russian oil infrastructure, weapons factories and warehouses but largely refrained from hitting passenger airports.
Zelensky insisted Ukraine would not target civilian planes but he warned: “There will simply be drones in Russia’s skies on a scale that has to be taken into account.”
He added: “We want to warn every airline that uses Russian airspace, every insurer, and everyone who still uses Russia’s key airports: Russian airspace is becoming completely unsafe.”
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It came hours after Germany formally blamed Russia for an explosive drone attack at its busiest cargo airport last month.
Berlin demanded Russia close its consulate in Bonn and the Russia House cultural centre in the German capital.
Zelensky singled out Russia’s capital Moscow and Putin’s home town of St. Petersburg as targets, adding: “Drone-infested skies are no place for civilian aviation.”
Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport showed 21 cancelled flights and 235 delays, while Vnukovo airport had 22 cancelled flights and 94 delays, according to Flightradar24.
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Turkey’s low cost Pegasus airlines cancelled at least seven flights in and out of Moscow.
They cite “technical and operational” difficulties to explain the cancellations and give no further details.
Turkey is the only Nato country with direct flights to Russia.
Other carriers that fly regularly to and over Russia, including Turkish Airlines, Qatar, Etihad and Emirates, did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Sources claimed Zelensky authorised Operation M&Ms which involves waves of autonomous AI-powered drones, according to the US-based Atlantic magazine.
The blitz is designed hit Russia’s elites and force Putin to negotiate.
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybil said: “Ukraine has officially notified the International Civil Aviation Organisation that Russian airspace is not safe for civilian aviation because of increased military activity.
“We urge everyone to avoid it.”
It comes after a week of devastating Russian strikes on Kyiv.
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Russia has ramped up daytime attacks with ground launched ballistic missiles which Kyiv struggles to intercept.
Ukraine has responded with frequent drone strikes on Russian targets, many associated with the country’s oil industry as well as retail sites.