Russia has banned all UK-linked aircraft from entering its airspace after London imposed sanctions on Russian airline Aeroflot in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
Regulatory agency Rosaviatsiya announced in a statement that the airspace is off limits to all aircraft “owned, leased or operated by an organization associated with or registered in the United Kingdom.”
The measure also includes flights crossing Russian airspace.
Minutes after the Russian decision, IAG, the parent company of British Airways and Iberia, announced the cancellation of its flights to Moscow and the transfer of its routes flying over Russia.
“Today we have taken the decision to cancel the air connection we have with Moscow” and “redirect flights to Singapore and New Delhi, so as not to fly over Russia,” IAG CEO Luis Gallego announced during an investor conference.
The first day of the conflict in Ukraine leaves hundreds dead
More than a hundred people, including children, were killed on the first day of the conflict in Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian border guards, Russian forces entered the area north of Kiev, coming from Belarus, to carry out a missile attack on military targets.
“They say that civilians are not a target. But this is another lie of theirs. In fact, they do not distinguish between the areas in which they operate,” President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced in a video posted yesterday on social media.
He added, “Tonight they started bombing civilian neighborhoods. This reminds us of (the Nazi attack) in 1941.”
Now Russia is trying to advance towards the capital, Kiev. According to military sources, Kiev is the main target of Russian President Vladimir Putin to “decapitate the Ukrainian government” and install an executive president favorable to Moscow.
According to European Union calculations, more than a million Ukrainians are fleeing Ukraine towards neighboring countries. Yesterday, the Mayor of Kiev announced the suspension of the operation of some metro stations that will serve as shelters for residents.
The Brazilian Embassy in Ukraine advised Brazilians to leave the European country immediately. There are about 500 Brazilians in Ukraine, including students, multinational executives and families of Ukrainians.
*With information from Agence France-Presse
