On Friday, February 25, the Russian authorities announced that Russia had closed its airspace to British airlines, including transit flights.

The move comes in response to the United Kingdom’s ban on Russian flights in its airspace and London’s refusal to hold talks with Moscow to resolve differences.

Rosaviation, Russia’s federal air transport agency, said in a statement that it had sought consultations with British authorities about Thursday’s restrictions on Russian flights in UK airspace, as part of the sanctions after Russia began its military intervention in Ukraine, but the request was turned down. .

The British flight ban applies to “flights of aircraft owned, leased or operated by a person associated with the United Kingdom or registered in the United Kingdom to points in the territory of the Russian Federation, including transit flights through Union airspace, and became effective at 11 am Moscow time (0800 local time). GMT) on Friday.

Britain notified Russia, on Thursday, of imposing restrictions on Russian Airlines flights in British airspace, as part of a new sanctions package.

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Rosaviation criticized the decision and noted that it violated an agreement between Russia and the United Kingdom providing for cooperation “on all issues necessary to ensure the safe and effective operation of contractual routes” and for advice “in the event of difficulties in operating these routes.”

The agreement also stipulated that airlines in the two countries “will obtain fair and equal rights to operate contractual routes.”

In defiance of sanctions threats from the West, Moscow formally recognized Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states earlier this week, followed by the start of a large-scale military operation in Ukraine on Thursday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the operation was aimed at protecting people “who were subjected to genocide” by Kiev and “disarming and discrediting” Ukraine, while calling on Ukraine’s military to lay down its arms. The attack was met with international condemnation and announcements of new sanctions imposed by Western countries on Moscow.

* Camilo Hernandez contributed to this note

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