Russian aviation watchdog adamant to make Ukraine cancel decision to activate danger zones

Russian Politics & Diplomacy November 25, 2016, 20:27

Russia has no plans to close the Crimean airspace, the watchdog says

MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/. Moscow will make Kiev cancel its decision to activate dangerous zones, a source in the Russian aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said.

"Rosaviatsia will make Ukraine change its decision. Such steps violate the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regulations and should be cancelled immediately," adviser to the Rosaviatsia head Sergei Izvolsky told TASS. 

Russia has no plans to close the Crimean airspace, Izvolsky added.

"This question hasn’t been raised, the flights continue as scheduled. Ukraine’s illegal actions refer to the Black Sea airspace. These decisions will undoubtedly be cancelled."

Earlier on Friday Rosaviatsia said that Ukraine had made a unilateral decision to conduct missile-firing drills in the Crimea area. According to Rosaviatsia, this would be a violation of international agreements.

Rosaviatsia also said that on November 24, Ukraine had issued an aviation notification on "activating dangerous zones in the airspace in view of missile firing exercises scheduled for December 1 and 2."

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak supervising the regional matters, has been keeping an eye on the situation, Kozak’s spokesman said. "The deputy prime minister knows about Ukraine’s decision to conduct missile-firing drills in the area," the spokesman noted.

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