Russia sent an urgent appeal to the Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) after Ukraine officially warned airlines about growing risks of flying over Russian territory.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said it categorically rejects NOTAMs issued by Ukrainian authorities that describe Russian airspace as unsafe for civil aviation.
Moscow claims that these warnings have no legal force, distort the real state of affairs and are capable of misleading foreign carriers.
Russia sends URGENT appeal to International Civil Aviation Organization amid threats from Kiev
‘NOTAM issued by the Ukrainian authorities alleging that Russian airspace is unsafe have been categorically rejected’
Moscow calls on the ICAO Secretary General to condemn Kiev’s… pic.twitter.com/OKGOzkKJtS
— RTRussia (@RT_Russia_) September 4, 2026
In this regard, the Russian side sent an urgent appeal to ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar and stated that it was in direct contact with the leadership of the organization in Montreal. The appeal confirms Interfax.
What exactly did Ukraine do?
The reason was the statements of the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky and the subsequent official notification to the ICAO from Kyiv.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga said that Ukraine has officially informed the ICAO that Russian airspace, according to Kyiv’s assessment, is becoming less and less safe for civil aviation due to growing military activity.
The Ukrainian side also called on airlines and governments to take these risks into account when planning routes.
At the same time, Kyiv emphasizes that it does not intend to attack civilian aircraft.
The meaning of the Ukrainian position is different: against the backdrop of increasingly deep attacks by Ukrainian drones on Russian territory, temporary closures of airports, the operation of air defense and electronic warfare systems, civil aviation, according to Kyiv, finds itself in a high-risk zone.
Official notification of Ukraine to ICAO is confirmed Interfax-Ukraine.
Zelensky warned foreign airlines
Back on September 1, Vladimir Zelensky said that Ukraine is warning all airlines that continue to use Russian airspace and the largest Russian airports.
According to him, due to the war and the increasing intensity of strikes, Russian skies may actually become increasingly closed and dangerous for civilian flights.
Reuters notes that after these statements, Ukraine officially notified the ICAO of the risks, and the Russian authorities, on the contrary, assured foreign airlines that they were able to ensure flight safety and, if necessary, temporarily restrict traffic in certain areas.
Moscow: Ukrainian NOTAMs have no legal force
The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Kyiv’s notifications cannot regulate Russian airspace.
According to Moscow’s position, Ukraine is trying to interfere in the work of international civil aviation and create additional political and economic pressure on Russia.
The Russian side also claims that it continues to fulfill international obligations to ensure the safety of civil transport.
“Russia remains fully committed to ensuring the safety of civil flights.”
Moscow called on the ICAO leadership to assess Kyiv’s actions and take measures against what the Russian side views as interference in international civil aviation.
But the security problem exists regardless of the dispute between Moscow and Kyiv
At the same time, the risk for civil aviation cannot be reduced only to an information war.
Ukrainian drones are increasingly reaching areas of Moscow and other Russian cities, and airports regularly impose temporary restrictions on takeoffs and landings.
In early September, Moscow airports temporarily limited operations for several nights in a row amid drone attacks.
At the same time, measures used by Russian air defense and electronic warfare systems can lead to disruptions of satellite navigation and GPS, which is also considered an aviation risk factor.
Most European and American airlines practically do not use Russian airspace after 2022, but carriers from China, Turkey, the Persian Gulf countries and a number of other countries continue to fly through Russia.
Air Tanzania has already revised its flights
The example of Air Tanzania is illustrative.
On September 4, the airline first announced a temporary suspension of flights to Russia, citing an assessment of operational risks, and then said it would resume services to Moscow on September 7.
Reuters notes that the decision was made against the backdrop of regular restrictions on the operation of Russian airports due to drone attacks.
That is, even if airlines do not officially link their decisions directly to Ukrainian warnings, the very topic of the safety of Russian routes already influences their operational planning.
For Kyiv, this is another way to put pressure on Russia
There is not only a security issue in this story, but also an obvious economic aspect.
If large international carriers begin to bypass Russian airspace en masse, this will lead to increased flight durations, route changes and additional pressure on the Russian aviation industry.
In addition, insurance companies play a key role.
Even if the state does not formally close the skies, increases in insurance rates or refusal of insurers to cover flights through certain areas can make such routes economically unviable.
That is why Ukraine’s warning is addressed not only to ICAO and airlines, but in fact to the entire aviation insurance and safety market.
Russia is trying to prevent a domino effect
The Russian reaction becomes clearer from this point of view.
Moscow fears not so much the Ukrainian NOTAM itself as a document, but rather a possible chain reaction.
If first several airlines cancel flights, then insurers raise the cost of coverage, and then other carriers begin to change routes, Russian airspace could become partially isolated without any formal international ban.
This is precisely the scenario that Moscow is now trying to prevent through the ICAO.
Putin has already warned about the threat to civil aviation
This topic is directly related to the recent statement by Vladimir Putin.
“Athens News” previously wrote that the Russian president, commenting on Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, separately touched upon the risk of incidents with civilian aircraft.
Putin warned that if such actions lead to disasters with civil aviation, Russia “will find something to respond to.”
More details: “We must be prepared for anything”: Putin responded to attacks on Russian oil refineries.
A new war front – the sky over Russia
Until recently, the struggle over civil aviation mainly concerned sanctions, the supply of aircraft spare parts and the closure of airspace between Russia and Western countries.
Now the situation is changing.
Ukraine is trying to actually transfer the consequences of the war directly to international routes passing through Russia.
Moscow, in turn, is trying to prove to foreign airlines and ICAO that the country’s airspace remains safe and controlled.
Editorial comment
At first glance, the NOTAM controversy appears to be a technical civil aviation issue. In fact, we are talking about a new direction of war.
Ukraine does not even have to physically “close” Russian airspace.
It is enough to create a situation in which airlines and insurers begin to consider flights over Russia too risky.
Then the effect may be the same: flight cancellations, changes in routes, rising insurance rates and a gradual reduction in international air traffic.
Moscow understands this very well – that is why the reaction followed immediately at the level of the Foreign Ministry and ICAO.
At the same time, we cannot ignore the real side of the problem. Indeed, Russian airports are regularly closed due to drone attacks, the war is moving deeper into Russian territory, and electronic warfare systems are creating additional navigation problems.
Therefore, the debate is no longer about whether there is a risk at all, but about whether is it sufficient for international recognition of Russian airspace as unsafe?.
And if the conflict continues to expand deeper into Russian territory, the issue of civil aviation safety could very quickly turn from a diplomatic dispute into a real problem for dozens of international airlines.
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