Kiev bars Russian flights carrying military cargo, troops

Ukraine has banned all transit flights of the Russian airlines carrying military equipment, soldiers or so-called dual-purpose cargo over its territory.

“The flights of the Russian airlines through the Ukrainian territory have been banned should they contain cargos of military or dual purpose or soldiers,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said in a statement on the cabinet's website on Friday.

The Ukraine government has also banned leading Russian airlines Aeroflot and Transaero from flying to Ukraine.

"We have made the decision to ban flights by Russian airlines, first and foremost by Aeroflot and Transaero to Ukraine," Yatsenyuk said in a message posted on Twitter.

Yatsenyuk said the cabinet made the decision in coordination with the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

According to a document on Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s website on September 17, all Russian airlines, including Aeroflot, were fully or partially barred from flying over, to or from the territory of Ukraine.

Ukrainian sanctions against Russia include 28 Russian banks, including Gazprombank and Rosselkhozbank, but do not affect Sberbank, VTB and Vnesheconombank, which have subsidiaries in Ukraine.

Poroshenko said the bans were imposed on Russian firms "in coordination with our partners from the European Union and the United States."

The blacklist also includes state TV channels and a helicopter design and manufacturing company.

Last August, the Russian government warned the European Union of a possible ban on Western airlines flying through its airspace if flagship carrier Aeroflot was included in the sanctions list.

Kiev and its Western allies accuse Russia of involvement in the deadly crisis in east Ukraine; however, Moscow has vehemently denied the allegation.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk