Can Ukraine’s drones shut Russian airspace? What that means for airlines

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russian airspace is effectively closed because of the volume of Ukrainian drones in the sky.

On Tuesday, he said that Russia, which began the war with the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, is now “closing its own skies”.

While Kyiv is not threatening civil aviation, Zelenskyy said, “there will be drones in Russia’s skies and due notice must be taken” by airlines and insurance companies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called Zelenskyy’s comments “a declaration of state terrorism”.

So, can Ukraine really shut down Russia’s airspace? And what happens if the airspace of the world’s largest country becomes inaccessible?

Ukrainian drones have increasingly threatened or disrupted air traffic at Russian airports in recent months.

As Russia has stepped up its use of ballistic missiles against Ukraine, Kyiv has struggled to intercept them due to a lack of ammunition for its air defence systems, particularly United States-made Patriot systems.

Ukraine has, instead, responded by striking Russian infrastructure, oil and port facilities, and even e-commerce warehouses, deep inside Russian territory.