Ukraine Airspace Closed Till Further Notice as Russian Troops Strike the Country

Kyiv, Ukraine, 2022-Feb-28 — /EPR Network/ — In a press statement released by the Ukrainian authorities, the Ukrain airspace will be temporarily closed for all civilian flights, including domestic and international, as Russia launches its military operation in Crimea. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, announced that Kyiv had restricted its air traffic controllers not to let civilian flights into areas of Ukraine. According to Zelenskyy’s statement, all international flights to and from Ukraine will be kept on a temporary hold. The flight ban includes Donetsk Airport, which sits about 25 miles from some of the heaviest fightings between separatist militias and Ukrainian troops. According to Zelenskyy’s statement, all international flights to and from Ukraine will be kept on halt.

This comes after violence in eastern Ukraine has reached new heights. Over 137 people in Ukrainian including civilians and army personnel, were killed on the first day of intense fighting between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces. There has been no confirmed news from the Russian side, but more than 800 casualties have been among Russian soldiers, as per Ukraine officials.

Ukraine’s parliament has authorized the deployment of troops against pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, declaring that Russia had launched an armed invasion. President Joe Biden said that Russia’s advance into Ukraine would be a clear violation of international law. The United States has announced wider sanctions against Russia and asked Moscow to pull back its forces. Even the European officials have also threatened targeted sanctions. Late Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken forewarned that financial sanctions have been prepared and are ready to be placed if Moscow (Russia) fails to take their steps back from invading Ukraine. On Thursday, Joint Forces command and Ukrainian officials claimed 5 Russian fighter jets and two helicopters were downed which tried to cross into Ukrainian territory from Crimea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also issued an order to use armed forces of the Russian Federation on Ukrainian territory until the ending of an agreement with Kyiv. According to Putin’s website, the charges were given two later when Putin discussed urgent measures for stabilizing the situation in Donetsk and Luhansk regions with his Security Council. The area has seen an uptick in tensions after pro-Russian groups protested against Ukraine’s new government following recent unrest. Kyiv reports that its troops have been fired upon by artillery and rockets from Russia. The United States released a statement condemning Russia’s actions and urging diplomatic discussion rather than violence.

The Ukrainian crisis began in late 2013 when President Viktor Yanukovych backed out of a trade deal with the European Union, saying Ukraine needed more time to negotiate better terms. Pro-EU protesters took over Kyiv’s Independence Square or Maidan Nezalezhnosti. Russia threw its support behind pro-Russian separatists who seized buildings in eastern Ukraine and launched an armed insurgency against Kyiv. The conflict has become one of Europe’s bloodiest civil wars since World War II.

In a telephone call Sunday with his Ukrainian counterpart, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken expressed strong support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and called on Russia to cease all efforts to violate Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty State Department readout of their conversation. The United States condemns Russia’s military intervention into Ukrainian territory and is all set to send officials from the Treasury Department and White House National Security Council for talks with representatives from international financial institutions, including IMF, according to a senior administration official. An embassy statement calls on Russia not to use force or intervene further in Crimea and urges it to abide by commitments it made earlier not to move its troops into Ukraine or threaten that country’s territory or borders.

Speaking of airlines, not just international but many low-cost domestic flights have also been impacted. Carriers like Spirt Airlines have reported that many people are canceling their flights due to the outranging war situation in the world. Many people in the United States feel that the fight between Russia and Ukraine will impact other countries as well. If your flight has been canceled due to the situation, you can check the Spirit Airlines Cancelation policy for more details.