Russia advises countries not to host Ukrainian warplanes
The MoD considers the use of the airfield network of these countries for basing Ukrainian military aviation as involvement in an armed conflict.
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A Ukrainian MIG-29 fighter jet parked at the Vasilkov airbase outside Kiev (AP)
Russia warned Ukraine's neighbors, including NATO member Romania, on Sunday not to host Kiev military warplanes, warning that they could become embroiled in an armed confrontation.
In a video briefing, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said, “We know for sure that Ukrainian combat aircraft have flown to Romania and other neighboring countries."
"The use of the airfield network of these countries for basing Ukrainian military aviation with the subsequent use of force against Russia's army can be regarded as the involvement of these states in an armed conflict," he added.
Konashenkov also stressed that "practically all" Ukraine's combat-ready warplanes had been destroyed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on Western powers to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine in order to prevent further Russian attacks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that any country imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine will be considered to have entered the military operation.
