Russian leaders banned from Romania and Hungary

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin's July 28 visit to Moldova was interrupted when his plane was banned from entering Romanian and Hungarian airspace.

Russian news agencies quoted Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin as saying that he and Russian officials were on a commercial flight to the Moldovan capital Chisinau. However, two European Union (EU) member states, Romania and Hungary, banned the plane from entering their airspace.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister criticized Romania's actions for putting the lives of passengers on the plane, including women and children, in danger. (Illustration photo: AP)

The plane later had to land in the Belarusian capital Minsk because it ran out of fuel.

Interfax news agency quoted Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin as saying that he and many Russian officials had to use commercial planes to travel after Romanian authorities closed their airspace to planes carrying Russian officials since 2014.

Mr. Rogozin is also one of the Russian leaders banned from visas by European Union countries since 2014 after the annexation of Crimea.

Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on July 28 that it did not allow a commercial plane carrying the Russian Deputy Prime Minister to enter its airspace.

Mr Rogozin also posted on Twitter late yesterday criticising Romania’s actions for putting the lives of passengers on the plane, including women and children, at risk. He also warned the Romanian government of possible retaliatory measures from Russia.

Meanwhile, on July 28, the Russian Foreign Ministry sent a protest to the Romanian diplomatic mission in Moscow, requesting that Romania investigate the incident.

According to VOV