21 hours ago

The EU authorities are expanding aviation sanctions against Russia, within the framework of which, from February 2022, the skies of EU countries are already closed to Russian airlines.

As part of the 14th package of sanctions, Russian individuals, companies and structures will also be prohibited from private flights in the airspace of member states, EUObserver reports, citing a document agreed upon by EU ambassadors on June 19.

We are talking, in particular, about business jets, which are used by wealthy Russians for flights to Europe, follows from the EU’s clarifications.

The new ban covers any flights in which people from Russia, as well as Russian citizens and companies, can “determine the place and time of takeoff and landing.” As an example, the EU document cites flights to transport Russians “to certain holiday destinations”, as well as flights by which companies “transport their employees to business meetings” in the EU.

The 14th sanctions package will include 69 citizens, 47 companies and 27 tankers, which, according to European data, belong to the “shadow fleet” and carry Russian oil bypassing sanctions. In addition, more than 60 more legal entities, including from China, Turkey, India and Hong Kong, will be included in the “grey lists”, which require increased inspections and stricter compliance procedures. These firms are suspected of supplying sanctioned technologies to Russia.

Two Russian billionaires will be subject to personal sanctions with the freezing of all assets and a ban on issuing visas – the founder of the Russian Copper Company (RMK) Igor Altushkin (net worth $3.8 billion, according to Forbes) and the creator of the Aeon holding Roman Trotsenko (net worth $2.8 billion ).

(C)THE MOSCOW TIMES 2024