Ukraine asks EU to shut its airspace to Russian passengers

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal has urged the European Union to close its airspace not only to Russian and Belarusian flights but also to passengers originating from these two countries. He emphasized that Kyiv will advocate for such sanctions and collaborate with the European Commission to implement them.

“Our idea is to prevent Russian businesses and Russian tourists from using the EU skies comfortably,” the Russian news agency TASS reported Ukrainian PM as saying to a telethon audience. “The EU sky is closed to Russian airlines, but we have also discussed closing transit to any flights to and from Russia with our partners,” he said, adding that similar measures should target Belarussian nationals as well.

Following the commencement of the special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, the EU prohibited all Russian flights. Additionally, similar restrictions were imposed on Belarusian carriers in the spring of 2021 by the bloc.

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Last week, the European Union has prohibited the Turkish airline Southwind from operating in its airspace due to evidence suggesting the company’s connections to Russia.