Zelensky Warns ‘Safe Days’ Are Over for Civilian Aircraft in Russian Airspace as He Vows To Escalate Drone Attacks

https://news.antiwar.com/2026/09/01/zelensky-warns-safe-days-are-over-for-civilian-aircraft-in-russian-airspace-as-he-vows-to-escalate-drone-attacks/

139 points · 51 comments · view on lemmy.world

51 Comments

muhyb@programming.dev · 37 pts · 2d (24 replies)

There is no justification for attacking on civilians.

onoki@reddthat.com · 26 pts · 2d (8 replies)

In the linked article no one suggests attacks on civilians. Rather it reads as a way to avoid unnecessary casulties.

What a clickbait headline.

CrabAndBroom@lemmy.ml · 61 pts · 2d (4 replies)

Yeah this is what he actually said...

"Today, 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."

"Ukraine does not threaten civilian aviation as such – not a single civilian aircraft. There will simply be drones in Russia’s skies on a scale that has to be taken into account"

"We in Ukraine do not want innocent lives to be lost. That is why we are warning our partners: the safe days in Russia’s skies are over. It is important that this is heard by the ambassadors of countries represented here in Ukraine, as well as by ambassadors working in Moscow."

DirtSona@feddit.org · 23 pts · 1d (2 replies)

How do "russian airspace will become completely unsafe" und "do not threaten civilian aviation" together?

FrostyTheDoo@lemmy.world · -3 pts · 1d

War is dangerous. Ukraine has been attacked and is fighting back. They're warning people that the area they are fighting in is dangerous and they don't want anyone to get hurt.

Do you assume Ukraine should prioritize commercial airline safety over their own sovereignty and their own commercial airlines, which have consistently been in danger for years?

There is not a safe way to conduct war. I'm sure Zelensky would prefer to stop the fighting, but that option currently means the death of Ukraine entirely.

Ithral@lemmy.blahaj.zone · -7 pts · 1d

Civilian Aircraft wont be deliberately targeted, but there will be so many munitions flying arround unnanounced they would be wise to re-route

narr1@lemmy.ml · 10 pts · 1d

We in Ukraine do not want innocent lives to be lost.

Well that's just an outright and blatant lie.

pinto@lemmy.world · -20 pts · 2d (2 replies)

But .ml needs to hate Ukraine, what are the supposed to do, listen to facts?

eldavi@lemmy.ml · 15 pts · 1d (1 reply)

listening to facts are the reason why anyone who reads will understand why ukraine is in the wrong.

the american congress banned weapons going to ukraine back in 2018 because of its neo nazi proclivities; how are you almost a decade slower than congress?!!!

goferking0@lemmy.sdf.org · 14 pts · 1d

It's almost like they are the ones who hate/ignore facts. Or more honestly just wanting to troll and stir up drama since that's the majority of their comments

danielfm123@lemmy.zip · -4 pts · 2d (14 replies)

Russia does...

deathmetaldawgy@lemmy.ml · 20 pts · 1d (6 replies)

That’s not justification for killing more civilians that’s psychotic.

snugglesthefalse@sh.itjust.works · -12 pts · 1d (5 replies)

If airlines care about not losing planes and people they will stop flying over Russia so it would have the ideal result of shutting down flights there. Ethically it's a bit fucked but it's likely an effective way to apply more pressure. And it's not like Russia can't just stop all of this.

RiverRock@lemmy.ml · 18 pts · 1d (1 reply)

I need you to understand the line you are choosing to cross here. You are now openly, in front of everybody, shrugging and vaguely justifying open mass terror against civilians.

snugglesthefalse@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 18h

No you're right, I think I was speaking partly out of exhaustion from this whole mess, I'd rather they just stopped.

LemsGhost@lemmy.ml · 8 pts · 18h (2 replies)

If airlines cared about stopping fascism in the USA they would stop flying and not rename all the lakes or the gulf on their maps. Guess what capitalist businesses only care about one thing.

snugglesthefalse@sh.itjust.works · -3 pts · 17h (1 reply)

I was talking more about them being concerned about possibly losing their property and thus profits, not that they had any moral compass. I'm not sure what the US has to do with it though, these companies are owned by people from all sorts of countries.

LemsGhost@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 17h

Airlines are a big part of getting the names changed of all the lakes etc. They changed the maps on all their planes etc. They could have easily just threatened to boycott not fly in the USA and Trump would have stood down but they couldn't stand losing any profits.

muhyb@programming.dev · -1 pts · 1d (6 replies)

Well, that includes Russians.

deathmetaldawgy@lemmy.ml · 12 pts · 1d (5 replies)

Yes it does. It includes both Russian civilians and Ukrainian civilians

muhyb@programming.dev · 3 pts · 1d (4 replies)

No idea why I've been downvoted. Deliberately killing any civilians is a war crime. End of point.

deathmetaldawgy@lemmy.ml · 13 pts · 1d (3 replies)

Because your original comment says “well Russia does it …” kindof seems like you’re implying an “eye for an eye” situation is just here. If your comment was focusing on Russian civilian death, too, it doesn’t really seem like it, kinda more like you're trying to act like Russia kills way more Ukrainian civilians and that makes it ok that Ukraine can kill Russian civilians, because “well Russia does it too …”

If that wasn’t your intention then I apologize but you must see how it comes off that way.

muhyb@programming.dev · 8 pts · 1d (2 replies)

I guess I've been misundestood. English does that to me time to time. What I meant is, there is no justification for attacking on civilians no matter which side you are on, that includes Russian civilians. Definitely didn't want to mean eye for an eye. That's terrible.

Thanks for the heads up.

deathmetaldawgy@lemmy.ml · 8 pts · 1d

Well hey, your English has me convinced! I’d much rather give tips on English than explain why killing civilians, no matter who, is bad 😅 rock on friend !

stumu415@lemmy.zip · 25 pts · 1d (1 reply)

I fly a lot over Russia from Europe to China with Chinese airlines because it's so much faster. If they even come close to downing a Chinese commercial airliner, it will change the complexion of the war.

idriss@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 19h

There are like 2 flights per day using Turkish airlines to Saint Petersburg alone, from Istanbul. Turkey managed to amass the largest military in Europe silently plus the massive industry. Shooting one will end well also /s

DirtSona@feddit.org · 14 pts · 1d (1 reply)

Mh-370 for everyone.

eldavi@lemmy.ml · 12 pts · 1d

you get shot down

RiverRock@lemmy.ml · 7 pts · 1d

Tldr the statement is basically this

EvergreenGuru@lemmy.world · -4 pts · 2d (18 replies)

Attacks on civilians infrastructure? That sounds very illegal and may have Zelenskyy sent to The Hague.

emergencyfood@sh.itjust.works · 18 pts · 1d (3 replies)

may have Zelenskyy sent to The Hague.

He's white, though.

EvergreenGuru@lemmy.world · -7 pts · 1d (2 replies)

So is Netanyahu, and he has a warrant out. If Zelenskyy starts striking civilian planes with international travelers onboard he’s going to lose support as far as Western public opinion goes and the ICC won’t be far behind.

Cowbee@lemmy.ml · 17 pts · 1d

Kiev was already under scrutiny from western media pre-2022 for their war crimes in the Donbass region. Once the war escalated with Russia entering the war, the same media apparatus flipped 180. I doubt Ukraine attacking civilian planes will lose them support among the west.

eldavi@lemmy.ml · 14 pts · 1d

a warrant that's not neither being enforced by any of the countries that promised to support the icc/icj nor pursued since the us empire had the icj prosecutor relieved of duty.

ManixT@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 2d

Man, wait until you hear about russia and what they started and continue to do. It'll blow your mind.

BassTurd@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 1d (7 replies)

Perhaps you could read the article instead of inferring what was said from a clickbait title.

hoppeduponcoffee@lemmy.zip · 14 pts · 1d (6 replies)

“Today, 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,” Zelensky said in a post on X that cited his nightly address.

Yes, because these are the words of a leader who definitely intends to do no harm.

Seems like Trump is definitely rubbing off on this guy.

BassTurd@lemmy.world · -9 pts · 1d (5 replies)

To steal the post of someone hire up this post that shared the entirety of the quote...

"Today, 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."

"Ukraine does not threaten civilian aviation as such – not a single civilian aircraft. There will simply be drones in Russia’s skies on a scale that has to be taken into account"

"We in Ukraine do not want innocent lives to be lost. That is why we are warning our partners: the safe days in Russia’s skies are over. It is important that this is heard by the ambassadors of countries represented here in Ukraine, as well as by ambassadors working in Moscow."

You cherry picked one line without context. His statement is a warning that non military flights will be flying through an active war zone, so proceed with caution. It's not a threat that he plans to attack civilian targets. He definitely intends to do harm, to Russian military and infrastructure, but if civilians put themselves in harms way, they may end up as an accidental casualty. That's different than some like Putin who specifically targets civilians.

DirtSona@feddit.org · 16 pts · 1d (1 reply)

Sounds like Israel's statements.

We don't kill any civilians on purpose. We tell just them all the areas where they could be staying might get bombed. It's their fault for not disappearing in thin air before our bombs turn them into thin air.

goferking0@lemmy.sdf.org · 13 pts · 1d

Sounds like Israel's statements.

Because it is

hoppeduponcoffee@lemmy.zip · 13 pts · 1d (2 replies)

And you’re assuming I didn’t read the rest of it.

He didn’t need to state that first paragraph. Period.

BassTurd@lemmy.world · -12 pts · 1d (1 reply)

I didn't say you didn't read it, but I did say that you were disingenuous for cherry picking part of the quote leaving out the rest of the context. The first paragraph is a fair warning to anyone flying in airspace that is going to get more dangerous. That's not him saying he's targeting civilians or that he intends to.

goferking0@lemmy.sdf.org · 11 pts · 1d

But the final paragraph is him saying that they don't care if or when they take out a civilian aircraft because they did a warning.

It's the same as when cops shoot someone while giving themselves plausible deniability

azimir@lemmy.ml · -20 pts · 1d (3 replies)
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whiskers165@lemmy.ml · 12 pts · 1d (1 reply)

You guys are so arrogant and have your heads so far up your own asses you cant even conceive of someone disagreeing with you unless they are misinformed or a disingenuous paid troll. You guys wont see reality until it smacks you square in the face.

Grapho@lemmy.ml · 9 pts · 1d

Not even then. They'll twist themselves into knots to find a version of reality that paints this inhumanity as something nobody could have known about at the time (and an unreasonable assumption anyway!) or they'll just deny it forever.

orc_princess@lemmy.ml · 5 pts · 7h

danielfm123@lemmy.zip · -22 pts · 2d

Russia does an the time....

taygaloocat@leminal.space · -9 pts · 20h (3 replies)
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ZeroHora@lemmy.ml · 12 pts · 17h

Because that's how the world works, one single persons says No and history is written, the world changes.

Cowbee@lemmy.ml · 11 pts · 17h

Russia entered the Ukrainian civil war precisely because it sees NATO's encirclement as an existential threat. As such, Russia will not cease until its strategic goals are met. Kiev could end the war as well by ceding the Donbass region and agreeing to NATO neutrality. The Donbass region already is more pro-Russia than pro-Ukraine, even if Kiev succeeded in pushing Russia back to the pre-2022 borders, they'd still have to contend with the seperatists they have been fighting since 2014, and failed to contain. Cozying up to NATO and agreeing to host missiles that target Russian cities, with less than a 10 minute travel time, is precisely what caused Russia to shift from diplomacy to active intervention.

taygaloocat@leminal.space · -7 pts · 9h

Oh no an opinion this community generally disagrees with, moderators SECURE THE ECHO CHAMBER AT ONCE!

Inb4 ban, I actually do appreciate a lot of ML principals and philosophies. Lemmy is just becoming Reddit