Minister for Transport Yiannis Karousos announced on Twitter that Cyprus will be closing its airspace to Russian aircraft, after the decision taken by the EU’s Foreign Ministers on Sunday afternoon.

“A NOTAM was issued which goes in effect at midnight, implementing the closing of airspace to Russian aircraft in accordance with the EU’s decision” Karousos tweeted late at night on Sunday.

“Earlier, we gave our consent, with reservations, on closing the European air space” to Russian aircraft, Karousos added.

According to a Foreign Ministry announcement on Sunday night, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides had given the country’s consent with reservations during a video conference of the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the EU on the same day.

The Foreign Ministry explains in its announcement that Cyprus reserves “its right to re-examine the decision, in case Turkey refuses to close its own airspace and instrumentalises this European decision in order to attract and/or transfer Russian citizens to the occupied areas”.