REUTERS
Russian President's spokesman Dmitry Peskov considers termination of the air travel between Russia and Ukraine absurd, according to RIA Novosti Ukraine.
Peskov noted that Russia had repeatedly stated that termination of the air traffic between Russia and Ukraine was absurd, running counter to interests of air carriers, and, most importantly, Russians and Ukrainians.
Read alsoUkraine has no plans to resume talks with Russia on lifting air traffic banAs UNIAN reported earlier, on September 25, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced that under Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council decisions, Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers had decided to toughen anti-Russian sanctions by banning flights carried out by Russian airlines, namely Aeroflot and Transaero. Ukraine also banned transit flights of Russian airlines through Ukrainian airspace if they carried defense goods, dual-purpose equipment, or Russian military personnel.
The reason for such decisions were multiple violations by Russian air carriers of the ban to flight to the occupied Crimea. According to Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Andriy Pyvovarsky, Ukraine has documentary evidence of such violations. The minister also said that 29 Russian airlines were included in the Ukrainian sanctions list, of which 27 carriers had carried out illegal flights to the occupied Crimea, as well as two Ukrainian companies that were appropriated by the occupation authorities of Crimea.
Read alsoRussian airlines should pay Ukraine $30.5 mln in fines for flying to CrimeaThe Russian Federation responded to Ukraine's move to ban Russian airlines from Ukrainian airspace with retaliatory measures, barring from October 25 the Ukrainian airlines from flying into Russia.