Ukraine bans Russia airlines from airspace

After Moscow provides no more gas, the Government in Kiev has blocked completely the airspace for all airlines of the neighboring country.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said the flight ban was justified because “Russia might use Ukrainian airspace to stage provocations”.

Kiev on October 25 barred most Russian airlines from flying into Ukraine – a decision that drew immediate reciprocal measures by Moscow.

Ukraine will ban transit flights of Russian airlines through its airspace starting from Thursday, the country’s Infrastructure Ministry said Wednesday.

However, state gas transport monopoly Ukrtrasgaz said that Ukraine would continue importing gas on Wednesday and expected to receive about 5 million cubic metres (mcm) of gas. “We are the ones who are not buying from them”.

But Ukraine said it had stopped buying from Gazprom because it could get cheaper gas from Europe.

Naftogaz of Ukraine noted that payments for Russian gas will be transferred gradually, in small tranches. Since no payment was made for future supplies, Gazprom said it halted deliveries to the Ukrainian market.

On November 6, European Commissioner for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic warned of the expiry of the Russia-Ukraine contract.

Around 800,000 passengers flew between Russian Federation and Ukraine in the first eight months of 2015 prior to the ban.

Premier Arseny Yatseniuk explained his decision by lower gas prices in Europe. “Russia, as always, disagreed on the lawful conditions offered by the Ukrainian side”.

Ukraine’s “refusal to buy Russian gas threatens a safe gas transit to Europe through Ukraine and gas supplies to Ukraine consumers in the coming winter”, he said.

The disruption is the second of its kind this year.

Ukraine also refuses to recognize Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.

Russia’s state-controlled gas company is halting supplies to Ukraine, its chief executive said Wednesday, less than two months after the two countries struck an EU-sponsored deal.