Flag of SwitzerlandGENEVA, Mar 11Switzerland, in connection with the situation in Ukraine, closes the sky for the aircraft of the parties to the conflict, as well as other states, to fly through its territory, when it comes to providing military support to the parties to the conflict, an exception is left for humanitarian flights, the Federal Council said in a statement posted on the government website on Friday.» In connection with the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the Federal Council considered how to deal with requests for overflights over the territory of Switzerland in the context of this armed conflict. The Council decided that overflights for military purposes by military aircraft of the parties to the conflict will not be accepted, military aircraft of other states in order to provide military support to the parties to the conflict, in particular, by delivering military equipment,» the statement says.Stoltenberg explained why NATO does not want to close the skies over Ukraine. Exceptions will only be made for humanitarian flights by military aircraft of the parties to the conflict and third countries, including the air transport of the wounded. The authorities recalled that the use of Swiss airspace by foreign military or state aircraft requires diplomatic permission, which, in special cases, requires the approval of the Federal Council. Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24. President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.» To this end, according to him, it is planned to carry out «demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine» bloody crimes against civilians» of Donbass. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces strike only at military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops, nothing threatens the civilian population. With the support of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the DPR and LPR groups are developing an offensive. But the occupation of Ukraine is out of the question, the President of Russia stressed.
