The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued a new alert on Thursday warning non-European carriers not to fly within western Russia airspace due to the risk of being unintentionally targeted by its air-defence systems.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has recommended that airlines should not use Russian airspace for flights due to the risk of war-related incidents. The recommendation is valid until 31 July 2025 but may be revised earlier if necessary.

Russia and its four flight information regions (FIRs) to a list of potentially dangerous airspaces for civilian aircraft. According to the agency, the decision aims to "ensure maximum flight safety amid the ongoing full-scale war Russia is waging against Ukraine.

The downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines airplane shows that flying over Russia poses a "high risk" to civilian aircraft as the war in Ukraine continues, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency said Friday.

The crash, which killed 38 people, is believed to have been caused by Russian air defenses firing at Ukrainian drones. "The ongoing conflict following the Russian invasion of Ukraine poses the risk of civil aircraft being unintentionally targeted in the airspace of the Russian Federation due to possible civil-military coordination deficiencies,