My pleasure. In fact, I went and did a bit of research, and it turns out that a few aircraft that DID violate USSR airspace were shot down or attacked. This was a problem for many airline, as the former USSR is HUGE and its airspace is needed for aircraft to fly to the North American west coast.
Simply put, EK would need permission from the Russian authorities to fly over Russia unless they would have to increase flying time and avoid the Arctic Circle. It appears that they have secured these rights. You simply can't go flying wherever you want-you need permission from countries you'll fly above.

Moving on, will EK partner with an airline out of LAX?