LONDON – Russian aviation regulator, Rosaviatsia has announced that 36 countries around the world are banned from operating in Russian airspace.

This comes as a response to countries in the West doing the same.

The following countries are banned from Russia’s airspace at this time:

• Albania.
• Anguilla.
• Austria.
• Belgium.
• British Virgin Islands.
• Bulgaria.
• Canada.
• Croatia.
• Cyprus.
• Czech Republic.
• Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands).
• Estonia.
• Finland.
• France.
• Germany.
• Gibraltar.
• Greece.
• Hungary.
• Iceland.
• Ireland.
• Italy.
• Jersey.
• Latvia.
• Lithuania.
• Luxembourg.
• Malta.
• Netherlands.
• Norway.
• Poland.
• Portugal.
• Romania.
• Slovakia.
• Slovenia.
• Spain.
• Sweden.
• UK.

Rosaviatsia said the following on the ban:

“A restriction has been imposed on flights for airlines of 36 countries in accordance with international law as a retaliatory measure for the ban imposed by the European states on the flights of commercial airliners operated by Russian airlines and/or registered in Russia”.

On the Western side of airspace, there is currently the largest civil aviation blockade in modern history, and of course, Russia wants to do the same to the West.

With sanctions aimed at trying to damage Russia’s presence in the world, it is only normal that the largest country in the world by landmass would do the same.

This is a developing story.