Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of proclaiming “state terrorism” after warning airlines that the Kiev drone offensive had made Russian airspace unsafe.
More than four years after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, both Moscow and Kiev have intensified their lethal attacks.
At least 12 people were killed on Tuesday in Kiev and the surrounding region during new and massive Russian night bombings.
Air traffic at Russian airports is also frequently interrupted by the approximation of Ukrainian drones.
“We want to warn all airlines that use Russian airspace, all insurers and those who continue to use the main Russian airports: Russian airspace is becoming completely unsafe,” Zelensky said during a nighttime speech.
Ukraine does not threaten civil aviation, but “there will simply be drones in Russia’s skies on a scale that must be taken into account,” he added.
Russia’s airspace would be “effectively” closed, he added, last week threatening to deploy up to 1,000 long-range drones a day.
Zelensky confirmed media reports that the United States had requested a pause in the attacks on Moscow and St. Petersburg on the previous Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The head of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, travelled to Moscow without notice during that period.
Putin reacted and said such claims represented “a declaration of state terrorism.”
“They are asking us to resume negotiations... but we are not negotiating with terrorists,” Putin said in a televised press conference.
Under U.S. mediation, diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have stalled since the Middle East war broke out in February.
Ukraine has been defending itself against a large-scale Russian invasion for more than four and a half years and, as part of its defensive efforts, has repeatedly attacked distant targets inside Russia using drones.
