Support The Moscow Times!

Poland, Czech Republic to Close Airspace to Russian Airlines – Reports

The airspace ban could come into force Friday night. Moskva News Agency

Poland and the Czech Republic are preparing to close their airspace to Russian airlines in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, according to reports Friday.

Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the government in Warsaw was drawing up a resolution that would block Russian planes from operating in Poland’s airspace, according to a Reuters report.

Prague is also “considering” closing its airspace to some Russian air companies, Czech journalists and Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Russia's S7 airline responded by canceling all flights to Europe from Feb. 26 - Mar. 3.

Britain has already banned Russia’s Aeroflot from flying to the UK — a move which saw Russia retaliate with a tit-for-tat ban on British Airways and blocking British airlines from flying over Russian airspace in transit to Asia.

Moscow has promised to respond to any sanctions the West slaps on it as a result of President Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch a military offensive on Ukraine.

The moves could seriously restrict both European and Russian airlines' ability to fly across the continent as well as to the Middle East and Asia. 

European airlines are already barred from flying over Belarus. Russian airlines are permanently blocked from operating in Ukrainian airspace, while the country’s airspace has completely shut down since the Russian invasion.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more