A private helicopter has been prevented from taking off from Kaunas Airport for a flight to Pskov in Russia on suspicion of circumventing international sanctions, the Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration (LTSA) said on Monday.
LTSA said the aircraft had been detained while the authorities were verifying its flight details and other information.
“The flight details of the UP-RB008 helicopter and all information related to the aircraft are currently being evaluated by the authorities responsible for the implementation of international sanctions,” the administration said in a press release.
The helicopter arrived from Latvia at Paluknys Airfield, in the district of Trakai, on Friday and came to Kaunas Airport later in the day.
On Monday, the LTSA was contacted by the helicopter’s owner, who said that the aircraft was due to fly to Astana, Kazakhstan, according to the press release.
The authority said it was waiting for all the necessary documents to ensure that international sanctions are not violated.
“The helicopter currently parked at Kaunas Airport will not be allowed to leave Lithuania until all the circumstances of the flight have been assessed by the LTSA,” it said.
The European Union prohibits the granting of permission to land, take off or fly over its territory to all Russian air carriers and aircraft registered in the country or owned, chartered, or otherwise controlled by Russian natural or legal persons.
The LRT Investigation Team reported last week that Lithuanian airspace is being used to bring aircraft from Europe to Russia as part of a possible sanctions circumvention scheme.
Further reading
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
