The Wall Street Journal reports:

One of Ukraine’s main airlines said Sunday it was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Moldova and suspended sales for flights this week after its insurers stopped covering aircraft in Ukrainian airspace due to an increased threat of a Russian military invasion.

The announcement by Kyiv-based carrier SkyUp Airlines came a day after Dutch national flag carrier KLM said it had suspended its flights to Kyiv and wouldn’t operate flights in Ukrainian airspace. Separately, Ukraine said it was advising airlines against flying through a portion of the Black Sea near to where Russia has begun naval military drills.

Tensions over Ukraine have been building for months. The U.S. over the weekend ordered most embassy staff to depart Ukraine after warning that a Russian military invasion could be imminent. Moscow also began withdrawing its diplomatic presence. Washington warned last week that Russia could launch a massive military operation against Ukraine in the coming days, but Moscow denies it intends to invade its neighbor.

The U.S. airline that has been supplying Ukraine with defensive weaponry, including javelins, said Sunday it was ceasing flights out of Ukraine. [Continue reading…]