In accordance with the decision of the National Security and Defense Council that was introduced by a presidential decree, the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to ban Russian airlines, primarily Aeroflot and Transaero, from flying to Ukraine. Prime Minister of Ukraine Arsenii Yatseniuk announced this at a government meeting on Friday, 25 September, the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers reports. The ban entered into effect on 25 October, the beginning of the the winter flying season.
The government also banned Russian airlines from operating transit flights over the territory of Ukraine "if they are carrying military goods, dual-use goods, or Russian troops."
The prime minister instructed the relevant agencies to notify Russia of this decision of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers. "Russian planes with the Russian tricolor have no business at Ukrainian airports," Yatsenyuk said.
In addition, he noted that the decision of the National Security and Defense Council directly bans the use of Russian software. According to Yatsenyuk, this ban applies to software from the Kaspersky Lab company. He instructed the State Special Communication and Telecommunication Service to block update of such software, its acquisition, and its use in government agencies immediately.
"A clear requirement for all executive government agencies - those companies on which sanctions have been imposed are prohibited from participating in public procurements to ensure that they have no access to the country’s budgetary resources," said Yatseniuk.
"The government insists on immediate enforcement of all the sanctions stipulated in the decision of the National Security and Defense Council... Responsibility for enforcement of the sanctions lies personally with the heads of central executive agencies and directors of state enterprises. The head of each executive government agency should ensure 100% implementation of the National Security and Defense Council’s decision," the prime minister said.
This is the first time that a senior government official is stating that Russian airlines will not be allowed to fly to Ukraine. Uncertainty reigned on the market after President Petro Poroshenko signed the decree on introduction of the National Security and Defense Council’s decision on imposition of the sanctions on 16 September because it was not clear how the sanctions would be applied and whether they should apply only to flights over Ukraine. Yatseniuk’s statement shows that the ban will be imposed in full. The sanctions list includes more than 20 Russian airlines. UTair, the third largest airline in Russia in terms of passenger volume, is the only major Russian airline excluded from the sanctions list.
The sanctions list also includes the First Freight Company, the largest rail freight carrier in Russia. Its wagons of which will be unloaded and removed from Ukraine.
