The Council of the European Union has roped UTair (UT, Khanty-Mansiysk) into its latest round of sanctions against Russia, designating the airline for its alleged support to the Russian military.
"Since the start of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, UTair - a contractor for the Russian Ministry of Defence - has provided logistical support to the Russian Armed Forces, including by transporting military personnel assigned to the combat zone, by conducting flights within Russian-occupied Ukraine, and by establishing a special ticket selling scheme with the Russian Ministry of Defence," the European Union institution summarised.
The bloc also highlighted UTair's association with Vladimir Bogdanov, an oil tycoon and owner of Surgutneftgas, who has been sanctioned since April 2022. UTair is a public joint-stock company traded on the Moscow Stock Exchange, but it does not disclose its current register of shareholders. However, it is controlled by JSC AK-Invest, whose founder was Surgutneftgas.
The sanctions ban any transactions with UTair, but their incremental impact is limited as all Russian airlines are already proscribed by the EU and cannot operate to the bloc or deal with businesses registered there.
