Russia Closes Airspace For 36 Countries Including Germany, Spain, Italy, Canada

Russia had already banned airlines from the United Kingdom to fly in or over the region following Britain’s decision to stop Russian airline Aeroflot from landing in the UK. 

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New Delhi: As peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv take place in Belarus, Russia closed its airspace for a total of 36 countries including Germany, Spain, Italy, and Canada. This move by Russia came as a tit-for-tat response to European nations' move who shut their skies for Russian-owned or controlled airlines.

Russian aviation regulator, Rosaviatsia, on Monday said: "A restriction has been imposed on flights for airlines of 36 countries in accordance with international law as a retaliatory measure for the ban imposed by the European states on the flights of commercial airliners operated by Russian airlines and/or registered in Russia."

Russia had already banned airlines from the United Kingdom (UK) to fly in or over the region following Britain’s decision to stop Russian airline Aeroflot from landing in the UK.

List of 36 countries that Russia has closed its airspace for are: Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.  

Earlier, European Union restricted airspace usage by Russian for all aircraft including private jets of oligarchs. The closing of airspace for Russian airlines is one of the many sanctions that Western nations have imposed on Russia after it invaded Ukraine.