European nations and Canada moved to shut their airspace to Russian aircraft, an unprecedented step aimed at pressuring President Vladimir Putin to end his invasion of Ukraine, the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two.
Aeroflot said it would cancel all flights to European destinations after EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the European Union had decided to close its airspace to Russian traffic.
The United States is considering similar action, but has yet to make a final decision, according to US officials. The US government said citizens should consider leaving Russia immediately on commercial flights, citing an increasing number of airlines cancelling flights as countries closed their airspace to Russia.
The ban on Russian jets comes as the airline industry continues to grapple with the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic that is still undermining global demand for travel.
Germany, Spain and France joined Britain, the Nordics and Baltic states in declaring bans on Russian use of their airspace, a major escalation in a tactic by mostly NATO allies to wage economic war against Putin in retaliation for the invasion.
Meanwhile, the rouble plunged nearly 30 percent to an all-time low versus the US dollar on Monday, and a vote in Belarus has cleared the way for the former Soviet state and current Kremlin ally to get nuclear weapons for the first time since the country gained independence in 1990.
This Maxar satellite image shows the damage caused by recent airstrikes and heavy fighting at Antonov Airport in Hostomel, Ukraine. Photo: AFP / Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies
- Reuters
Follow RNZ's coverage of the Russia-Ukraine conflict here: