Russia Bans Flights of Polish, Czech & Bulgarian Airlines in Tit-For-Tat Move

Earlier, Aeroflot (Russian Airlines) flights were banned in the UK as part of sanctions also targeting VTB and state company Rostec linked with Moscow's "special operation" in Ukraine to protect the people of Donbass and "clear the country of neo-Nazis." PM Boris Johnson said the move sought to "squeeze Russia from the global economy."

Russia has restricted flights of Bulgarian, Polish, and Czech airlines in its airspace in response to similar moves taken by those countries, the Russian civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, said on Saturday.

The restrictions entered into force at 12:00 GMT on 26 February in connection with "unfriendly decisions of the aviation authorities of Bulgaria, Poland, and the Czech Republic regarding the closure of their airspace," reads a statement by Rosaviatsiya.

The restrictions in question concern any flights to airports in Russia or through Russian airspace. Flights from these countries may only be carried out with authorisation from Rosaviatsiya or the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Stosowne przepisy są niezwłocznie procedowane. Zakaz będzie obowiązywał od północy. https://t.co/6IOxDqmvMA

— Piotr Müller (@PiotrMuller) February 25, 2022

Earlier, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki tweeted that he had ordered the preparation of a resolution by the Council of Ministers that would lead to the “closure of airspace to Russian airlines."

Od dnešní půlnoci zastavujeme provoz všech ruských leteckých dopravců na českém území.

— Martin Kupka (@makupka) February 25, 2022

Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka similarly tweeted to say that the country was “halting the traffic of all Russian airline companies in Czech airspace."

Bulgaria is also closing its airspace to Russian aircraft as of Saturday in the wake of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, the Bulgarian Transport Ministry said on Friday in a statement published on its website.

Romania will reportedly close its airspace for Russian flights by the end of the day, according to media citing the country’s cabinet of ministers.

Lithuania’s Transport Ministry has also indictaed that it intends to follow suit.

After the UK banned flights by Aeroflot, Russia's flagship carrier, among other sanctions linked to the special operation launched by Moscow to protect the people of Donbass and "clear Ukraine of neo-Nazis", the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency announced on Friday that retaliatory restrictions would cover all aircraft associated with Britain.

"This step was taken in accordance with the provisions of the Intergovernmental Air Services Agreement between Russia and the UK as a response to unfriendly moves by the UK aviation authorities regarding the restriction on regular flights of aircraft owned, leased, or operated by a person associated with Russia or registered in Russia," the agency said in a statement.

The agency added that Moscow had previously sent a proposal to London to hold consultations regarding flights between the countries, noting that it was turned down.

Announcing the restrictions that target over 100 Russian individuals, as well as VTB bank and state company Rostec on Thursday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated the decision was aimed at “squeezing Russia from the global economy."

The developments come after Russia's "special operation" in Ukraine was ordered by President Vladimir Putin in the early hours of 24 February after the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics asked for protection against Ukraine's attacks.

Putin underscored at the time that the Kremlin was left with no alternative after Donbass had been shelled with increasing intensity for more than a week and the 2015 Minsk peace agreements were abandoned.

The Russian president stressed that the goal of the "special operation" was the "demilitarisation and denazification" of Ukraine, while Russia's Defence Ministry said that civilians would not be targeted by Russia's military as it focused on destroying Ukraine's military infrastructure.

Furthermore, Moscow reiterated that it had no intention of occupying Ukraine and its forces would withdraw once the goal of the operation had been completed.