New EU sanctions target airlines operating domestic flights in Russia

The European Union's latest sanctions against Moscow include a ban on third-country airlines flying to the 27-nation bloc if they carry out domestic flights in Russia, the European Commission said on Monday. The EU's 16th sanctions package against Russia includes a ban on primary aluminium imports and the sale of gaming consoles, while also listing a cryptocurrency exchange and dozens of vessels of the so-called shadow fleet used to evade sanctions. Russian authorities are exploring allowing airlines from other countries to operate domestic flights between Russian airports as a way to deal with a shortage of aircraft caused by Western sanctions.