Author: dmitriy.vasyura@gmail.com

Several international airlines have expressed their readiness to resume flights to Ukraine, provided that security improves. UNN has collected statements from those who are already considering the possibility of flying with proper safety guarantees.

Several airlines have expressed interest in resuming flights to Ukraine if security and insurance conditions improve. Crispin Ellison, senior partner at insurance broker Marsh McLennan, previously stated that there are 5-6 airlines that would like to start flying from January 2025. At the same time, he added that this will depend on how the air defense systems and the like will be placed. UNN tells which companies have already declared readiness to resume flights.

airBaltic

Latvian airline AirBaltic Plans to transfer resources from other destinations to Ukraine when it becomes safe. AirBaltic CEO Martin Gauss noted that the company is ready to operate Night Flights if safety conditions allow, and is even ready to fly without passengers to test the situation. The resumption of flights to Ukraine will be an important step for the company, as it will also allow for more direct routes south to destinations such as Dubai and Greece.

In addition, Ryanair has promised to deploy 30 aircraft in Ukraine after the end of the war to help restore the country's aviation industry.

Авіакомпанія Sky Up Airlines

The company responded to the statement of a risk management specialist, who noted that air traffic can resume until February 2025. The company's press service stressed that to launch flights, it is necessary to provide safety guarantees, insurance and a clear understanding of who will be responsible.

"Security is an absolute priority. Therefore, until there is a safe sky, there will be no flights," the press service noted.

Ryanair

Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'leary said back in 2023 that the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair considered resuming a small number of flights to Ukraine if agreements were reached on partial opening of the airspace.

"We work in Israel and beyond. We are flying to Tel Aviv airport. From time to time, explosions are heard from the West Bank, and Hamas launches rockets. So, anything is possible. But we need to convince European safety authorities that flights will be safe," O'leary said in 2023.

Авіакомпанія Supernova Airlines

Supernova Airlines, a subsidiary of NOVA Group (owner of Nova poshta), has been granted permission to operate regular international flights from Kiev and Lviv from November 1. The relevant information was sent to the Ministry of foreign affairs of Ukraine for registration of appointments.

Currently, statements from airlines regarding the resumption of flights have not been voiced in the public space.

restrictions on the opening of airspace

Deputy Minister of community and Territory Development Timur Tkachenko notedthat although state bodies are considering the possibility of partial opening of Ukrainian airspace , this is currently unlikely in the short term. Special attention is paid to the possible resumption of operation of airports in Boryspil and Lviv, which are key for passenger transportation. Tkachenko also stressed that comparing the situation of Ukraine with Israel, where the software system works effectively, is not entirely correct, since Ukraine has not yet reached the necessary level of Defense. Therefore, in his opinion, it is too early to talk about the partial opening of the airspace.

previously

The Ministry of development of communities and territories said that Ukraine presented a roadmap for opening of airspace under martial law, presenting a step-by-step plan and needs for partial opening of airspace.

Russia has trained 300,000 contract soldiers as reserves for the currently fighting regiments, a Russian official said in an article for the propaganda outlet Krasnaya Zvezda on Dec. 2.

"Seven companies of instructors and eight training companies for specialists… have trained over 300,000 service members," said Ivan Buvaltsev, the head of the training department of Russia's Armed Forces.

The claim comes as Russia's advance in Ukraine's east is picking up pace despite allegedly suffering record losses.

Buvaltsev did not specify when the 300,000 reservists were supposedly trained, but the article's context suggests he refers to the year 2024.

Former Defense Minister Seiger Shoigu set up nine reserve battalions to train and prepare contract soldiers to offset Russia’s casualties in Ukraine at the end of 2023.

According to Shoigu, 335,000 people signed up voluntarily to fight in 2023. In 2024, this number was 200,000, according to former President Dmitry Medvedev.

Russia reportedly suffered record losses in military equipment and personnel in the war against Ukraine in November. Moscow's losses steadily grew since the beginning of the fall as Russia continued to advance in the Donetsk sector, aiming to capture the towns of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.

Only in November, 45,720 Russian soldiers were wounded, killed, or captured and thus unable to continue participating in operations, Kyiv said. This number is equivalent to more than three motorized rifle divisions of the Russian army.

November also saw the record for enemy personnel losses in one day broken: 2,030, the highest figure since Feb. 24, 2022, according to Ukraine's military. As of Dec. 2, Russia lost 743,920 troops, 9,478 tanks, and 19,397 armored fighting vehicles, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said.

The figures could not be independently verified.

Russia loses almost 46,000 troops, over $3 billion worth of military equipment in November, Defense Ministry saysIn November, the Russian military lost 2,030 soldiers in one day, which is the highest rate of Russian losses in a day since Feb. 24, 2022.The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

The president of Ukraine announced constant plans to end the war by 2025 and the need to strengthen the state. At the meeting with the German Chancellor, issues of security and support from the United States and the EU were discussed.

The plans remain unchanged, and Ukraine wants to be stronger so that the war ends in 2025. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky during a joint briefing with German Chancellor Olaf Schulz, reports UNN.

Our plans remain unchanged, and we want to be stronger so that the war ends in 2025

Zelensky said.

In addition, Zelensky said that he spoke with Scholz.

We share information on how to strengthen Ukraine at the front, as well as how to strengthen Ukraine from the outside, and we really need it. We do not yet know and very much hope that the support of the United States, the new administration, will be strong, preferably even stronger. But first of all, we must already talk about this and think about how we can further strengthen our state, no matter what challenges await us

– Zelensky said.

Also, according to him, they talked about the European Union, not only about the role of Ukraine, but also about the corresponding steps.

I told you how important it is for us to have security guarantees, serious security guarantees. I was quite open with the chancellor about the topic of NATO, about our security guarantees, what and in whom we believe, and who we will never believe again

Zelensky said.

addition

Zelensky stated that the United States, Germany and Hungary remain skeptical about the possibility of inviting Ukraine to NATO.

Zelensky said that if the war is frozen without any strong position for Ukraine, Russian dictator Putin will return in a few years and destroy Ukraine completely.