Muristek
A Russian flag flies in front of the US embassy building in Moscow July 28, 2017. — Reuters pic
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MOSCOW, Feb 26 — Russia today closed its airspace to flights from Bulgaria, Poland and the Czech Republic in tit-for-tat punitive measures following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Britain has banned Russian flagship carrier Aeroflot from flying over the UK and several countries, including Bulgaria, Poland and the Czech Republic, have closed their airspace to Russian carriers.
“Air carriers of these states and/or registered in them are subject to restrictions on flights to destinations on the territory of the Russian Federation, including transit flights through the airspace of the Russian Federation,” the federal air transport agency Rosaviation said, referring to Bulgaria, Poland and the Czech Republic.
Meanwhile, Estonia, Latvia and Slovenia today also said they were banning Russian flights.
“We invite all EU countries to do the same,” Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallasshe tweeted, adding: “There is no place for planes of the aggressor state in democratic skies”.
“We invite all EU countries to do the same,” she said.
Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa quoted Kallas’s tweet saying that “Slovenia will do the same”.
Latvian Transport Minister Talis Linkaits also said on Twitter that “Latvia will close its airspace to Russian-registered airlines for commercial flights,” adding that the decision would be formally approved at the next cabinet meeting. — AFP