UK makes it a crime for Russian planes to fly or land on British soil

Britain unveiled new Russian aviation sanctions on Wednesday that give it the power to detain any Russian aircraft and ban the export of aeronautical or related products to Russia. A plane would have already been seized after the determination.

The measures to strengthen action against Russian aircraft mean that it is a crime for any Russian plane to fly or land in the UK.

The ban includes any aircraft owned, operated or chartered by any person linked to Russia or designated individuals or entities, and will include the power to detain any aircraft owned by persons linked to Russia, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“Banning Russian-flagged planes from the UK and making it a criminal act to fly them will inflict more economic pain on Russia and those close to the Kremlin,” said Foreign Minister Liz Truss.

The Foreign Office said it would establish new legislation on Wednesday to implement the measures, which also include the power to remove from British aircraft registration any aircraft belonging to sanctioned Russian individuals and entities.

Transport Minister Grant Shapps said one aircraft had already been seized while further investigations were carried out. The Telegraph newspaper reported that the private jet was linked to a friend of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

“We know that it is not a Russian company that owns the aircraft, but an aircraft registered in Luxembourg. We are doing more checks before releasing it,” Shapps told LBC radio.

The new sanctions will also bar exports related to aviation and airspace, including insurance and reinsurance.

This means that coverage on existing policies will be withdrawn and UK insurers and reinsurers will not be able to pay claims on existing policies in these sectors, the statement said.