The European Union's Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a warning on Thursday about heightened dangers to airlines as a result of the war in Ukraine, including civil planes being unintentionally attacked.
In a document published on the internet, EASA stated that "misidentification is easy in confused arenas of warfare," like what happened in wars in the past.
"The development of this risk is common to all combatants. If we add in the likelihood of jamming of electronic aids that may be involved with navigation and or...identification tools, then it is easy to see the potential for innocent aircraft being subject to missiles or radar laid weapons," the regulator noted.
However, EASA did not mention in its statement if the warning is related to Ukraine's airspace. It was generally about the dangers posed by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war to airplanes, per Reuters.
There were further concerns associated with a rise in the number of military activities utilizing civilian airports, as well as the possibility that "military drones and aircraft" operations in the conflict zone could "inadvertently infringe" neighboring civil airspace," according to the regulator.
Russian Troops Bombard Steel Factory In Mariupol
EASA's warning was issued as Russia is "trying to destroy" Ukraine's remaining troops in the Azovstal steel plant in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol.
The Telegraph reported that "bloody battles" sparked in the massive factory as Russian invaders focused "on blocking and trying to destroy Ukrainian units," according to Kyiv's military statement.
A Russian-announced truce was set to start at the besieged facility, where hundreds of Ukrainian military and civilians have been trapped for weeks.
Late Wednesday, a commander of the Azov Brigade, which is in charge of Mariupol's defense, claimed that Russian soldiers had infiltrated the facility and that "bloody battles" were taking place.
Russian troops have broken into the steelworks enclosure for two days, Azov commander Denys Prokopenko said in a Telegram video. Despite the terrible circumstances, they continue to "execute the order to hold the defense," he added.
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Zelensky Seeks For Longer Ceasefire
As Russia intensifies its attack on the Azovstal steel factory, the final stronghold of Ukrainian forces there, Ukrainian President Zelensky has appealed for a prolonged ceasefire to evacuate more civilians from the devastated Mariupol city in southern Ukraine.
About 200 civilians, including children, are believed to be sheltering in the huge plant's subterranean bunkers, and Zelenskyy said it was crucial to keep "the silence" to get them all out.
In an early morning message on Thursday, Zelensky said that rescuing people from the site may be more challenging and needs "to be done by hand," as per an Al Jazeera report.
"It will take time simply to lift people out of those basements, out of those underground shelters. In the present conditions, we can not use heavy equipment to clear the rubble away," Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian leader once again sought the assistance of the United Nations and Red Cross after the two organizations conducted evacuation measures for hundreds of people from Mariupol and other regions this week.
I am also grateful to the #ICRC for its role in the negotiations and the work of its teams in Mariupol. https://t.co/DDPjLRo3Vi
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 1, 2022
According to the UN humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, Osnat Lubrani, some 300 civilians were evacuated from Mariupol and other towns in southern Ukraine on Wednesday as part of a joint UN-Red Cross operation.
Related Article : Mariupol Mayor Loses Contact With Ukrainian Soldiers After Evacuees Escape Heavy Firefight in Azovstal
