Latest news with #Moscow-area
IOL News
6 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Emirates reviews Russia flights as Ukraine expands drone use
Sir Tim Clark president of Emirates airlines. Image: Emirates Anthony Palazzo and Guy Johnson The world's largest long-haul carrier plans to review flights to Russia following Ukrainian drone attacks deep inside the country over the weekend. Dubai-based Emirates has contended with disruptions since the start of the war in early 2022, President Tim Clark said Monday in a Bloomberg Television interview. The airline, which has provided Moscow with crucial links to the outside world, has no current plan to curtail services but will monitor the developing situation, he said. 'This latest event was a little more worrying,' Clark said Monday at the International Air Transport Association's annual gathering in New Delhi. 'As things get a little bit more acute, if I can use that word, we'll be reviewing all of this.' Ukraine staged a dramatic series of strikes on Sunday, hitting at least four Russian air bases and destroying a number of warcraft. The attacks underscore Kyiv's recent turn toward using sustained drone attacks against Moscow, causing flight disruptions that closed Russian airports several times last month. Emirates has built 'cast-iron' contingency plans into its operations, including carrying enough fuel to allow pilots to turn back if necessary from Russian airspace or Moscow-area landings, Clark said. 'If there's any sign of trouble we're out.' Most airlines based in Europe, the US and other countries that support Ukraine stopped flying to Russia or using the airspace shortly after the February 2022 invasion. Emirates and Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus are among a handful that have continued services. Pegasus conducts daily reviews for both safety and operational disruptions, Chief Executive Officer Guliz Ozturk said in a separate Bloomberg TV interview. 'It's a daily, even an hourly review,' she said, given aviation authorities issue frequent advisories and periodically close down airspace and airports. 'As long as we see it's safe to fly, and operationally it's good to go, then we continue.' Dubai, a major global crossroads in the Gulf, has provided a conduit for travel to Russia with daily Emirates flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Turkey has supported Ukraine but hasn't imposed sanctions on Russia, allowing Pegasus and flag-carrier Turkish Airlines to maintain schedules. Executives at Turkish said they had no plans to halt Russian flights. Ukraine has periodically targeted Moscow with drones since the start of the war, but the frequency and intensity of the attacks escalated significantly in May. The shift signals a change in Ukrainian tactics and highlights Kyiv's growing ability to test Russia's air defenses - potentially increasing economic disruption and logistical pressure on the capital. In this weekend's actions, Ukraine claimed it hit four air bases and destroyed more than 40 Russian aircraft including long-range bombers. Russia's defense ministry said five bases were attacked but only 'a few aircraft units' were damaged at two locations. The attacks took place as Russian and Ukrainian officials prepared for peace talks planned this week in Istanbul. | Bloomberg
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's 'STOP' message to Putin echoes Biden's 'don't' from 2022
President Donald Trump's message for Russian President Vladimir Putin to "STOP!" airstrikes on Ukraine echoes a comment made by former President Joe Biden in 2022 in which he repeatedly warned Putin against using chemical or nuclear weapons in the conflict. "I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5,000 soldiers a week are dying. Let's get the peace deal DONE," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday as Russian airstrikes rocked Kyiv. Three years ago, during an interview with CBS News, Biden was asked, "As Ukraine succeeds on the battlefield, Vladimir Putin is becoming embarrassed and pushed into a corner -- And I wonder Mr. President what you would say to him if he is considering using chemical or tactical nuclear weapons?" "Don't. Don't. Don't," Biden responded. "It will change the face of war unlike anything since World War II." Russia Is 'Ready To Make A Deal' On Ukraine War, Lavrov Says The Thursday attack on Ukraine killed at least 10 and injured at least 90, including children, Ukraine said. Read On The Fox News App Trump's message to Putin to "STOP!" was criticized on the Friday cover of the New York Post, which featured the headline "Words aren't enough." On Friday morning, as Trump was leaving the White House to fly to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, he told reporters "I think Russia and Ukraine -- I think they're coming along, we hope. It's very fragile." "We're working on plenty of things that shouldn't be worked on, because none of this stuff should have happened. This should have been taken place by Biden. It should have been fixed by Biden. But he couldn't do it. Nor could he come close to doing," Trump added. He also said he has "no deadline" to resolving the war in Ukraine, but that he just wants to do it "as fast as possible." Russian General Killed In Moscow-area Car Bombing, Investigators Say Trump administration officials claimed they had productive talks with Putin, but they have yet to secure a deal that would end the war that has been raging since Russia's February 2022 invasion. Recently, several members of the administration suggested that the U.S. could end its efforts to secure a peace deal if Ukraine and Russia do not start making significant moves toward ending the war. White House envoy Steve Witkoff is in Moscow on Friday to meet with Putin. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also told CBS News that the Kremlin is "ready to reach a deal" to end the war. In an excerpt of an interview that is set to air in full on Sunday, Lavrov said he agreed with Trump's assertion that talks between Ukraine and Russia were "moving in the right direction." However, Lavrov added there were "some specific points, elements of the deal, which need to be fine-tuned," but did not explain what was being negotiated. Lavrov also apparently made it clear to CBS News that Russia would not give up Crimea, which the country seized from Ukraine in 2014. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this week that his country would not recognize Russian control of Crimea, as it would go against Ukraine's constitution. Trump slammed Zelenskyy over the "inflammatory" remark and said in a post on Truth Social that the comment was "very harmful" to peace efforts. Fox News Digital's Rachel Wolf contributed to this article source: Trump's 'STOP' message to Putin echoes Biden's 'don't' from 2022
