Star Metro - Zelensky warns airlines Russian skies not safe due to Ukraine drones

Both sides have intensified long-range attacks in recent months and diplomatic efforts led by the United States remain stalled more than four years into Russia's full-scale invasion.

"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 his nightly address.

"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," he said.

Air traffic at Russian airports has been repeatedly disrupted by the approach of Ukrainian drones, the number of which has increased in recent months.

"Drone-infested skies are no place for civilian aviation," Zelensky said. "The sky over Russia is currently for drones... as long as the war continues."

Putin responded by branding Zelensky's comments "a declaration of state terrorism".

"They are asking us to resume negotiations... but you don't negotiate with terrorists," Putin said in a televised news conference.

The hardening stances came after fresh Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least 12 people in Kyiv and the surrounding region.

"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," Zelensky said.

- 'Increasing tempo' -

Russia has stepped up its use of ballistic missiles that Kyiv is struggling to intercept due to a lack of ammunition for its air defence systems.

But Ukraine has responded by striking Russian infrastructure, ports and even e-commerce warehouses.

Putin also acknowledged in his address that Ukrainian strikes had damaged infrastructure inside Russia.

"The adversary began delivering strikes on our civilian facilities, including on refineries. Did it cause damage? It did," Putin said.

"And why? Among other reasons, and above all, because they were not protected."

But he said Moscow was gaining momentum on the battlefield.

"Russian forces, despite everything, are increasing the tempo of their offensive in the zone of the special military operation," he said, using Moscow's term for the war.

Zelensky said in his nightly address that Ukraine would clear its drones from Russian skies when its partners requested it, "for the sake of diplomacy, for the sake of negotiations... for specific periods of time and in specific destinations".

But US-mediated efforts to end the conflict have largely stalled since the outbreak of war in the Middle East in February.

Even so, Putin struck a warmer tone towards US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, key figures in President Donald Trump's mediation efforts.

"Both Mr Kushner and Mr Witkoff are always welcome guests here, and we are glad to work with them," he said, describing them as "sincere".

Witkoff and Kushner have held several rounds of talks with Russia as part of Washington's mediation push, with the last visit to Moscow in January.

J.Hall--SMC