27 Feb 2022, 12:03

Six more countries announce move to close airspace to Russian planes

On Saturday, the ARD television reported on Saturday citing own sources that the European Union member states would close their airspace for Russian planes

MOSCOW, February 27. /TASS/. Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Iceland and Italy have announced a decision to close their airspace to Russian aircraft in response to Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine.

"Austria will support the EU closure of airspace to Russian aircraft," the country’s Minister of Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology Leonore Gewessler wrote in her Twitter account. "We have made all the necessary arrangements. Austria will immediately close its airspace after this decision [of the EU] to all Russian aircraft," she said.

Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod wrote in his Twitter account on Sunday: "Denmark will be closing its airspace for Russian aircraft. At today’s meeting of EU ministers of foreign affairs we will push for an EU-wide ban. Russia’s unprovoked, despicable attack on Ukraine must be met with strongest possible international sanctions & condemnation," the top diplomat said.

Sweden is also preparing to shut its airspace to Russian planes, Minister for European Union Affairs Hans Dahlgren told the Swedish radio. "The most effective measure would be adopting a joint decision by EU states. Sweden will now insist on halting [Russian] flights inside the EU."

Belgium has also joined the countries taking this measure against Russia, Alexander De Croo wrote in his Twitter account. Iceland and Italy followed suit on Sunday, becoming the latest in a string of European countries, which have closed their airspace to Russian aircraft.

On Saturday, the ARD television reported on Saturday citing own sources that the European Union member states would close their airspace for Russian planes. The channel did not specify when the ban would be imposed. The following countries have already closed their airspace for Russian aircraft: the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Germany will shut its airspace for all Russian flights at 15:00 (17:00 Moscow Time) on Sunday, Transport Minister Volker Wissing said in an interview with ARD.

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