---
title: "Budanov: Russia's sky has lost its safety — Ukraine systematically strikes military targets on RF territory"
description: "Head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Budanov stated that Ukraine will deliver a stiff and proportional response to the September 1 shelling and that long-range weapons will systematically strike military targets in the RF."
date: 2026-09-01T19:50:02.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/budanov-russia-sky-lost-safety-ukraine-systematically-strikes-targets
tags: [ukraine-war, kyrylo-budanov, russia, drones, military, zelensky]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Budanov: Russia's sky has lost its safety — Ukraine systematically strikes military targets on RF territory

![Kyrylo Budanov of Ukraine's Presidential Office in a statement on systematic strikes on Russian military targets](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/01/budanov-nebo-rossii-utratilo-bezopasnost-ukraina-sistemno-porazhaet-celi/budanov-nebo-rossii-utratilo-bezopasnost-ukraina-sistemno-porazhaet-celi-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Budanov stated that on September 1, the RF once again became a "day of terror" against Ukrainian children and civilian infrastructure.
- Ukraine, according to Budanov, will deliver a "stiff and proportional response" based on the right to self-defense.
- Budanov asserted that Russia's sky has "lost its safety" and announced systematic operations by long-range weapons against military targets on RF territory.
- Kyiv is ready for "pinpoint pauses" exclusively for real steps toward ending the war.
- According to sources, the plan to launch up to 1,000 drones per day against Moscow's airports in early 2026 was not adopted.

Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, stated in his Telegram channel that Moscow once again turned September 1, 2026, into "yet another day of terror against Ukrainian children and civilian infrastructure." In his words, exercising its right to self-defense, Ukraine will deliver a "stiff and proportional response" to Russian shelling. Budanov emphasized that he fully supports President and Commander-in-Chief Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision on this matter.

### "New reality": long-range weapons against military targets

The key point of Budanov's statement is the assertion that Russia's sky has "lost its safety." He called this a "new reality" that Ukraine, in his phrasing, "officially warns about." "Our long-range weapons will systematically engage military targets on enemy territory," the Head of the Office of the President assured. Thus, Kyiv is marking a shift from episodic strikes to systematic operations against targets on RF territory.

### Diplomacy and "pinpoint pauses"

At the same time, Budanov stated that Ukraine "respects the diplomatic efforts of partners" and is ready to provide "pinpoint pauses" — but "exclusively for real steps toward ending the war." He stressed, however: as long as the aggression continues, Ukrainian drones and missiles, in his words, will "dominate the Russian sky." The statement was made against the backdrop of a parallel address by Volodymyr Zelenskyy to all airlines using Russian airspace and to insurers working with key RF airports, noting that "the Russian sky is becoming entirely dangerous" and is de facto being closed.

### Contradictory data

In the public discourse surrounding claims of "dominance" in the Russian sky, there is a nuance worth considering. According to two sources, there had previously been a plan to launch up to 1,000 Ukrainian drones per day against Moscow's airports and the surrounding area — cheap autonomous devices capable of finding and striking targets without operator involvement. However, according to the same sources, in early 2026 this plan was not adopted. Thus, the rhetoric of systematic "dominance" in the RF sky and of a "proportional response" is not identical to a specific large-scale scenario of massive daily launches, which, as reported, was not implemented. The differences in scale and status of these claims should be kept distinct when interpreting the statement.

### Context and significance of the statement

Budanov's statement resonates with earlier remarks by Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the Russian sky would de facto be closed, as well as with the address to international carriers and the insurance market. Taken together, these messages form Kyiv's public position on the transition to sustained striking of military targets on RF territory with long-range weapons, while maintaining readiness for "pinpoint pauses" in the event of real diplomatic steps. Budanov's statement of September 1, 2026, is an official public statement by the Head of the Office of the President and was recorded by a number of Ukrainian media outlets.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Ukraine's drones and missiles will dominate the RF sky as long as the war continues, - Budanov](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/droni-i-raketi-ukrayini-gospodaryuvatimut-1788292019.html) - Фиксирует заявление Буданова о системной работе дальнобойных средств по военным целям на территории РФ и о «господстве» в небе России.
- [Budanov promised a stiff response to the RF for the September 1 shelling of Ukraine: what he stated](https://tsn.ua/ru/ukrayina/budanov-poobeschal-zhestkiy-otvet-rf-za-obstrely-ukrainy-1-sentyabrya-chto-zayavil-3160406.html) - Подтверждает тезис о «жестком и пропорциональном ответе» на обстрелы 1 сентября и поддержку решения Зеленского.
- ["We officially warn": Budanov announced a new reality for the RF](https://glavred.info/war/my-oficialno-preduprezhdaem-budanov-zayavil-o-novoy-realnosti-dlya-rf-10793336.html) - Подтверждает формулировку о «новой реальности» и об «официальном предупреждении» относительно небезопасности российского неба.
- [Ukrainian drones and missiles will rule the Russian sky as long as the aggression continues ...](https://www.unian.net/war/ukrainskie-drony-i-rakety-budut-hozyaynichat-v-rossiyskom-nebe-poka-prodolzhaetsya-agressiya-budanov-13487412.html) - Подтверждает тезис о «господстве» дронов и ракет в российском небе на фоне продолжающейся агрессии.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What exactly did Kyrylo Budanov state on September 1, 2026?
**A:** Budanov stated that the RF once again became a "day of terror" against Ukrainian children and civilian infrastructure on September 1, and that Ukraine will deliver a "stiff and proportional response" based on the right to self-defense, fully supporting Zelenskyy's decision.

### Q: What did Budanov say about the Russian sky?
**A:** He asserted that Russia's sky has "lost its safety," called it a "new reality," and stated that Ukrainian long-range weapons will systematically engage military targets on RF territory, and that drones and missiles will "dominate" the Russian sky as long as the aggression continues.

### Q: Is Ukraine ready for pauses in strikes?
**A:** According to Budanov, Ukraine respects the diplomatic efforts of partners and is ready to provide "pinpoint pauses," but exclusively for real steps toward ending the war.

### Q: What is known about the plan for massive drone launches?
**A:** According to two sources, there had previously been a plan to launch up to 1,000 Ukrainian autonomous drones per day against Moscow's airports and the surrounding area, however in early 2026 this plan, as reported, was not adopted.