"State Terrorism": Putin Blasts Zelensky After Wild Threat Of Drone Attacks To 'De Facto Close' Russian Airspace Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky just issued a crazy and unexpected threat which portends a major escalation in the war. Certainly it will provoke the Kremlin into even more uncontrolled escalation and massive strikes, such as has been (somewhat unusually) happening on Odesa port as well as the capital city of late. He has vowed moving forward to de facto close Russia's skies, and has put Russian airlines, insurers, and foreign governments on notice. Zelensky is in effect warning that airlines could be shot out of the sky - though he stopped short of voicing this directly. "Today we want to warn every airline that uses Russian airspace, every insurer, everyone who still uses key Russian airports - Russian skies are becoming completely dangerous,"Zelensky stated. Via Facebook/Sheremetyevo International Airport "Although the Russian authorities do not report this as it should, the Russian sky will de facto be closed," he added. As justification for the alarming announcement and threat, the Ukrainian leader pointed to the last several days of Moscow's heightened aerial assault on Ukraine which has left dozens of casualties. On Tuesday alone at least 12 were killed and another 21 injured in Ukraine's capital due to Russian missile and drone attacks. "This is purely Russian terror against civilians. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has tried to block our ports, and due to Russian strikes on Ukraine, our skies are closed to civilian aviation," he added. Though he emphasized that Russian airspace "will be de facto closed" because of Ukrainian drones, and that foreign governments and insurers must take this into account, Zelensky still sought to highlight that this does not constitute a threat to civilian aviation. He also tried to present Western calls for restraint as folly, which he apparently will not listen to anymore, saying additionally: "When the United States contacted us, asking us not to strike Moscow and St. Petersburg, we paused, and then we were attacked. When our partners contact us for negotiations, we are ready to ensure a period of calm in the Russian airspace. However, for the duration of the war, the Russian airspace is currently for Ukrainian drones, not for civilian aviation." Invoking Russia's two largest cities, which are also major international travel hubs, is sure to get Kremlin leaders' attention. Both have come under increasingly drone attacks in the last several months. Dozens of airports across Russia have many times suffered forced closures, or else severe flight delays, due to the long-running drone war. Russian President Putin just responded to Zelensky's wild threat, accusing Ukraine's leader of declaring "state terrorism" for warning airlines that Kyiv's drone offensive against Russia made that country's airspace unsafe. "If this was said out loud, then it is simply a declaration of state terrorism," Putin said in a televised news conference. "They are asking us to resume negotiations... but you don't negotiate with terrorists." Interestingly, Zelensky also suggested he had paused such attacks for the sake of CIA Director John Ratcliffe's August 25 'secretive' trip to Moscow. "Therefore, for the sake of diplomacy, for the sake of negotiations — when our partners turn to us about this — we will ensure that the Russian sky is cleared of drones for certain periods of time and in certain directions," he noted. BREAKING: Zelensky warns every airline using Russian airspace, every insurer, everyone using key Russian airports: Russian skies are becoming completely unsafe. Ukraine says it doesn't threaten civilian aviation, but "drones in Russian skies will be such that this must be… pic.twitter.com/zRrggy4ayV — Clash Report (@clashreport) September 1, 2026 In the past, President Putin has not shown a willingness to back down in the face of such threats - instead he has often escalated in turn. The war is likely to get a lot worse before it gets better at this stage, with not even a hint of peace talks anywhere on the horizon. Meanwhile, via Newsquawk late Tuesday, a new Putin warning: "Russian President Putin says Russia has blocked a large enemy force in eastern Ukraine and it keeps striking Ukrainian ports and energy facilities; is preparing massive strikes on Ukraine's energy targets." Tyler Durden Tue, 09/01/2026 - 18:00
"State Terrorism": Putin Blasts Zelensky After Wild Threat Of Drone Attacks To 'De Facto Close' Russian Airspace Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky just issued a crazy and unexpected threat which portends a major escalation in the war. Certainly it will provoke t…
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U.S. Central Command stated that it conducted strikes on over 80 military sites along Iran's southern coast on July 7, 2026, in response to reported multi-vessel maritime attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. While the United States claims the operations targeted anti-ship missile and radar systems, independent verification of the specific scale, nature, and casualties of the campaign remains unavailable.
The U.S. military has reportedly struck two Iranian government tankers and approximately 100 other targets, following a reported presidential approval of a “tanker for tanker” policy aimed at deterring Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. While U.
S. officials claim that recent Iranian strikes on U.S. assets failed, Iran’s Foreign Ministry has alleged that a U.S. strike on a wedding in Kuhestak killed or injured more than 50 civilians, a claim that the White House has not yet commented on.
LAEM CHABANG, Thailand — The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier arrived Wednesday at a port in eastern Thailand, where thousands of U.S. sailors and Marines are disembarking for the first time in more than 280 days after a record-setting deployment in the Middle East.
The toll of the more than nine-month deployment, most of it spent supporting military operations in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, was visible on the carrier as it pulled into Laem Chabang Port in Chonburi province. Paint has worn off and the metal underneath is rusted on the 1,092-foot warship, which is one of the largest in the world.
The Lincoln is in Thailand for a four-day “rest and relaxation” stop on its way home to San Diego after having spent weeks in the headlines as the lengthy deployment raised concerns about supply shortages and the effect on sailors’ mental health. The U.
S. Navy confirmed the ship’s arrival in a statement, saying the Lincoln strike group arrived in Laem Chabang while the destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. docked in nearby Sriracha and the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls went to Map Ta Phut in neighboring Rayong province.
The Navy said it was the Lincoln’s first full port stop after 286 days at sea since the deployment began in November. Thai police crackdown on sex workers “Our arrival in Laem Chabang provides a well-deserved opportunity for our sailors and Marines to rest and recharge,” said Rear Adm.
Robert E. Loughran, commander of Carrier Strike Group 3. “It also underscores the strong and enduring partnership and alliance between the United States and Thailand.” Service members could be seen working aboard the deck of the Lincoln as loudspeakers played announcements about the process for disembarkation.
“I’m excited, as excited as you are,” a commanding officer could be heard saying over loudspeaker. About 5,000 sailors and Marines are expected to hit the streets of Pattaya, a nearby coastal resort city that is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Thailand.
Each service member will get three “liberty days” and one day of duty aboard the ship, a U.S. military official said. Locals in tourism-dependent Pattaya have eagerly awaited the arrival of the Lincoln, which pulled into sight from the shore after sunrise before it made a wide turn and harbored itself at a major cargo terminal.
Officials in Pattaya, where international tourist arrivals have dropped because of travel disruptions and soaring fuel prices stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, say the visit is expected to inject about $3 million into the local economy.
Authorities have stepped up security, with heightened police patrols and checks along the roads. Businesses here are also trying to woo the sailors, with some putting up banners to welcome them. Wichai Yuankham, 35, a factory worker who came to watch the ships arrive, said the naval visit was a welcome boost to the local economy.
“I am just excited to see the destroyer docking,” he said. “This is my first time seeing the destroyer, and I feel good seeing it, and we can boast to our neighboring countries about this.
US military officials stated that strikes on Iranian targets were conducted in response to reported attempts by Tehran to attack commercial shipping and US personnel in the Strait of Hormuz. While Iranian semi-official media reported retaliatory missile and drone launches, local officials cited claims that one US strike hit a residence, causing casualties, though these specific details remain under verification.