Russia: Sanctions freezing Russian-Ukrainian airspace come into force

Footage released on Saturday shows passengers boarding the last direct flights between Moscow and Kiev before restrictions blocking airspace between the two countries come into force. The Russian government decided to restrict its airspace to Ukraine starting on October 25, in response to Kiev banning flights by Russian airlines to the country from the end of September. The decision came after Ukrainian authorities had banned Russian airlines Aeroflot and Transaero from flying to Ukraine as well as Russian planes carrying military equipment and soldiers from flying over the country on September 25. According to Russian Minister of Transport Maksim Sokolov, at least 70 percent of passengers flying from Ukraine to Russia and back in 2015 were Ukrainian citizens. The majority of Ukrainians flying with Aeroflot used Russian territory as a transit zone on their way to Europe. "Banning Russian airlines means that Ukrainian authorities are driving their own citizens into transport isolation," Sokolov said.