Civilian airports are increasingly becoming military targets, as nations at war seek new ways to inflict economic and psychological damage.
Ukraine, under US pressure to stop striking Russian refineries, has expanded its targets — bombing data centers and clogging air space — while considering more aggressive tactics like directly hitting Russian airports, The Atlantic reported. Kyiv said Thursday it only responds in kind “to specific Russian strikes.”
Such a shift would intensify threats to global aviation safety: The Houthis have reportedly struck Riyadh’s airport 20 times this month, clouding Saudi Arabia’s investment outlook; Germany accused Russia of attempting to bomb Leipzig’s airport in August; and an Iran-linked threat prompted the US to remove bombers from a UK airfield earlier this month.
— Brendan Ruberry