KIEV, April 3. /TASS/. The Opposition Platform - For Life party has castigated the Ukrainian cabinet’s decision to ban all irregular flights to Russia following the official visit of the party founder Yuri Boyko and Chairman of its Political Council Viktor Medvedchuk calling it "absurd", a statement published on the party’s website on Wednesday reads.

"This seemingly "idiotic" decision has a serious explanation for Ukrainian citizens. "The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers of [Prime-Minister Vladimir] Groysman is in agony, just like the authorities, and are fully aware that the negotiations between Viktor Medvedchuk, Yuri Boyko and Russian top officials have every chance of being successful. Which will, in turn, lead to a tariff reduction for ordinary Ukrainians and the inevitable prosecution of officials who enrich themselves using corruption schemes like Dusseldorf+ and Rotterdam+," the statement points out.

The opposition considers this decision as an attempt to introduce "personal sanctions" against Boyko and Medvedchuk "instead of addressing the raging issues of reducing utility bills for the public, ensuring social protection for the citizenry and normalizing the economic situation in Ukraine." At the same time, the party stressed that making this decision "the cabinet recognizes that all earlier flights were conducted in full compliance with the law."

"It’s to somehow hamper the normalization of relations with Russia, to hinder the negotiations and to take revenge for the political stance of Viktor Medvedchuk and Yuri Boyko, as well as the Opposition Platform - For Life party as a whole, that this absurd decision has ben made," the statement concludes.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Ukrainian government introduced a ban on all irregular flights to and from Russia after presidential candidate Yuri Boyko and Opposition Platform - For Life party political council Chairman Viktor Medvedchuk paid an official visit to Moscow.

Yuri Boiko and Viktor Medvedchuk visited Moscow on March 22 to discuss avenues of restoring trade and economic relations with Russia, solutions to the gas issue and possibilities of creating a joint gas transit consortium. The Ukrainian politicians were greeted by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, followed by a meeting that was also attended by Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller. Later, Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Yuri Lutsenko promised to initiate criminal proceedings against Boyko and Medvedchuk for illegally crossing the border, while Prime Minister Vladimir Groysman and Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said that an investigation was needed to determine the details of the issue.