Russian invasion: Italy latest country to close its airspace to Russian flights

International

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Brussels,
Feb
27:
Amid
Moscow’s
military
action
in
Ukraine,
Italy
has
become
the
latest
country
to
join
a
growing
list
of
nations
that
have
closed
their
airspace
to
Russian
airlines
as
the
West
ramps
up
pressure
on
Russian
President
Vladimir
Putin
for
ordering
an
invasion
of
Ukraine,
reported
news
agency
AFP.

Earlier,
Belgium
is
closing
its
airspace
to
Russian
flights,
the
country’s
prime
minister
said
on
Sunday,
adding
to
a
growing
number
of
European
countries
that
have
done
the
same,
reports
news
agency
AFP.

Germany’s
Federal
Ministry
of
Transport
and
Digital
Infrastructure
announced
that
Transport
Minister
Volker
Wissing
“supports
the
blocking
of
German
airspace
for
Russian
aircraft”
and
had
“ordered
everything
to
be
prepared
for
this.”

Additionally,
German
airline
Lufthansa
cancelled
all
upcoming
flights
to
Russia
and
announced
that
“flights
that
are
in
Russian
airspace”
would
“leave
it
again
shortly.”

Belgium
is
the
latest
in
a
string
of
European
countries
which
have
closed
their
airspace
to
Russian
aircraft,
including
the
UK,
Poland,
Bulgaria,
and
the
Czech
Republic,
among
others.
Russia
responded
by
closing
its
own
airspace
to
the
countries,
the
report
said.

Russia
said
on
Saturday
that
it
was
closing
its
airspace
to
planes
from
Lithuania,
Latvia,
Estonia
and
Slovenia
after
they
banned
Russian
planes
from
their
skies.
Bulgaria,
the
Czech
Republic,
Poland
and
Romania,
among
several
other
countries,
also
have
a
ban
in
place.