ICAO notes growing risk of weapons use against civil aircraft

WASHINGTON, September 3. /TASS/. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said that risks of weapons being used against civil aircraft are growing all over the world.

"ICAO is observing heightened risks of civil aircraft being targeted or caught in crossfire, and while the aviation industry is able to reroute flights and maintain operations during conflicts, this operational flexibility does not address the fundamental security threat," the Canada-based organization said in a statement obtained by TASS.

"Long-range weapons systems, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), global navigation satellite system radio frequency interference, and advanced air defense systems are among the military technologies jeopardizing civilian aviation," the document reads.

Earlier, TASS requested ICAO to assess Ukraine’s "warning" to air carriers that flying over Russia was unsafe. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that threats against civil aviation are "a bid for state terrorism," and stressed that Moscow does not negotiate with terrorists: "I would like to point out that they are asking us to resume talks and are asking for personal meetings. Terrorists are not negotiated with." In turn, Russian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin said that Russia "will not allow significant disruptions" to civil aviation operations.