Shares in Russian flag carrier Aeroflot fell more than 5 per cent after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned international airlines and insurers that flying through Russian airspace was becoming increasingly dangerous because of the scale of Ukrainian drone operations.<\/p>\n
Aeroflot shares dropped 5.11 per cent to a session low of 30.36 roubles on the Moscow Exchange at about 8.40pm local time, according to market data cited by Meduza.<\/p>\n
The decline followed comments by Zelensky earlier on Tuesday in which he said Ukraine was beginning to \u201cclose the sky over Russia\u201d, warning that the increasing presence of drones created growing risks for civilian aviation.<\/p>\n
Zelensky stressed that Ukraine was not specifically threatening passenger aircraft, but said airlines and insurers needed to account for the changing security environment when operating in Russian airspace<\/a>.<\/p>\n The warning introduces a potentially significant new commercial risk for Russian airlines, whose operations could be affected by higher insurance premiums<\/a>, route restrictions and a deterioration in passenger confidence if drone attacks continue.<\/p>\n Russian President Vladimir Putin responded<\/a> by accusing Kyiv of making a \u201cbid for state terrorism\u201d and said Moscow would not negotiate with terrorists.<\/p>\n \u201cIf this is said aloud, it is a bid for state terrorism. We do not negotiate with terrorists,\u201d Putin<\/a> said, commenting on Zelenskyy\u2019s statement regarding closing the sky over Russia.<\/p>\n Putin said Russia<\/a> would find a way to respond to the Ukrainian warning.<\/p>\n He also said Russian forces<\/a> had been instructed to prepare and launch large-scale attacks against Ukraine\u2019s energy infrastructure.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are hitting our facilities; they will get a response,\u201d the Russian leader said.<\/p>\n Zelensky\u2019s warning was made as Kyiv continues to expand its use of long-range drones against targets inside Russia, extending the conflict beyond the battlefield<\/a> and increasingly affecting transport and energy infrastructure.<\/p>\n The latest comments suggest that aviation could become another front in the economic consequences of the drone war. Russian airlines already operate in an environment shaped by international sanctions<\/a> and restrictions on access to aircraft, components and western aviation services.<\/p>\n