Russia bans UK-linked planes from its airspace

Moscow on Friday banned all UK-linked planes, including transiting flights, from its airspace after its flagship carrier Aeroflot was prevented from flying over Britain following the Russian attack on Ukraine. 

“A restriction was introduced on the use of Russian airspace for flights of aircraft owned, leased, or operated by an organisation linked to or registered in the UK,” the Rosaviatsia aviation authority said in a statement.

The ban took effect from 11:00 am Moscow time (0800 GMT), it said, and included flights transiting through Russian airspace.

It said the decision was taken “as a response to unfriendly decisions of the UK aviation authorities”.

London banned Aeroflot from using British airspace on Thursday.

It also froze the UK assets of Russian titans in banking and arms manufacturing, in sanctions announced after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an attack on Ukraine.

Rosaviatsia said it had sent its British counterpart a proposal to “hold consultations” on Thursday and that it had received “a negative reply” on Friday.

Invading Russian forces reached the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Friday.

Putin defied a barrage of international sanctions and pressed on with the invasion, which he announced in the early hours of Thursday.