Ukraine pledges $592 million to keep airspace open amid standoff with Russia

Ukraine Infrastructure Ministry on Sunday announced a fund of $592 million to help airports in the ex-Soviet nation functional amid escalating tensions along the Russia-Ukraine borders. The allotment comes after several flights through Ukraine's airspace were diverted with the risk of more being rerouted. As quoted by the Guardian, Ukraine PM Denys Shmygal on Sunday said the fund is "to ensure flight safety in Ukraine for insurance and leasing companies."

"The sky over Ukraine remains open, and the country is working to prevent risks for air carriers. The information about the closure of Ukrainian airspace is not true. The closure of airspace is a sovereign right of Ukraine, and no such decision has been made," Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry wrote on Facebook.

Kyiv says European Aviation Safety Agency 'did not restrict' flights over Ukraine

Meanwhile, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has made no recommendations to restrict flights in Ukrainian airspace, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky's office said on Sunday. His remarks come after the Irish lessor prohibited a plane of the Ukrainian airline SkyUp from entering Ukraine's airspace amid the looming threat of potential invasion of Kyiv by Russian forces amassed along the eastern Ukraine borders. The flight, headed from Madiera,  Portugal, was directed to land in Moldova.

"The sky over Ukraine is open, the authorities did not make a decision to close airspace. EASA also made no recommendations to restrict flights in Ukrainian airspace. We use facts, not assumptions. Most airlines continue to operate without restrictions," Deputy head of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky's office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko wrote on Facebook.

Addressing the media on Sunday, Tymoshenko also added that Kyiv will also implement measures to support air carriers soon, his statement added. The message comes hot on the heels of reports by Ukrainian digital media, Strana.ua, saying that a pool of major international insurance companies will stop covering Ukraine-based flight operators starting from Monday. Following this, Dutch carrier KLM has already cancelled Ukraine-bound flights citing a potential outbreak of attack warnings reiterated by the West.

As tension between Russia and Ukraine continued to develop steadily over the past weeks, over a dozen of countries have urged their citizens and diplomatic staff to leave the ex-Soviet nation. Although, the risk of airspace closure has been reported amid the mounting Russian military escalation and subsequent combat drills jointly practised with Belarus. In addition, Russia also issued coastal warnings along the Black Sea region and Sea of Azov for naval exercises in the coming weeks.

However, Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry on Sunday claimed that it will be instrumental in minimising the impact on the flight operations as the government is working out measures to keep the country's airspace fully functional.

The developments come as Moscow has increased military build-up along the Ukraine-Russia border. With nearly 1,50,000 Russian troops amassed in the Donbas region, the West has intensified its warning of the potential invasion threat of Kyiv "any time now." However, Russia has continued to rebuff claims, saying that the troop movement is a part of routine army deployment "in Russian territory."

(Image: AP/Unsplash (representative)