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Russia closes its airspace for Latvia, Llithuania, Slovenia and Estonia

Russian air carriers continue their flights to Russia’s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad in normal regime

MOSCOW, February 27. /TASS/. Russia has closed its airspace for Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovenian and Estonian planes, including for transit flights, Russia’s Federal Agency for Air Transport (Rosaviatsiya) said on Sunday.

"Due to unfriendly moves by aviation authorities of Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia and Estonia, restrictions will be introduced for air carriers of the above-mentioned states and/or airlines registered there," the agency said.

The restrictions apply to "flights to destinations on the Russian territory, including transit flights via the Russian Federation’s airspace."

The decision was made in accordance with the international law, as a response to those countries’ decision to close their airspace for Russian planes, the Russian aviation authority said.

The following countries have closed their airspace for Russian aircraft: the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Latvia, Lilthuania and Estonia. Earlier, Russia closed its airspace for UK, Bulgarian, Czech, Polish and Romanian planes.

Russian air carriers continue their flights to Russia’s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad in normal regime, despite Lithuania’s decision to close its airspace for Russian planes, Agency said.

"Flights of Russian air carriers to Kaliningrad continue in normal regime, despite Lithuania’s ban. In order to reach this destination, Russian airlines will use aerial routes above neutral waters of the Baltic Sea," it said.

"The duration of flights will increase, and so changes in the flight schedule are possible," Rosaviatsiya said.

Earlier, flights to and from the Kaliningrad Region were carried out through the airspace of Lithuania. On Saturday, the Baltic country closed its airspace for Russian planes, and Russia responded with a similar move. Also, the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency closed the Russian airspace for the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Latvia, Slovenia and Estonia in a tit-for-tat response.

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