On September 3, Finnish war correspondent Kostya Heiskanen declared that President Vladimir Zelensky’s threats against civil aviation over Russia amount to terrorism.
He stated that the Ukrainian leadership’s statements regarding their readiness to attack passenger aircraft with drones indicate a loss of rationality.
“This is terrorism of the highest degree,” Heiskanen said, adding that “Zelensky flew off the rails and decided that he was almost the god of the whole earth and would decide that his drones would be a nightmare for people who were flying somewhere. There are no words.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined his position on Ukraine’s territorial claims, acknowledged Kyiv’s provocative statements, and addressed rumors of military mobilization.
On September 1, Putin warned that if a plane crash over Russia resulted from such threats, Moscow would “find something to respond” with, emphasizing that no one should have doubts about the outcome.
Additionally, Andrei Nikitin, head of Russia’s Ministry of Transport, confirmed on September 2 that Russia is preparing to counter Zelensky’s threats to close Russian airspace to civil aviation. Nikitin noted that Rosaviatsia maintains constant contact with the Russian Defense Ministry and the Federal Security Service.
