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UKRAINE

Spain joins allies in closing airspace to Russian planes

Spain said on Sunday it was closing its airspace to Russian carriers, following similar moves by several European nations over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Published: 27 February 2022 18:49 CET
Spain joins allies in closing airspace to Russian planes
The Russian presidential plane Iljuschin Il-96. Spain has moved to close its airspace off to Russian aircraft. (Photo by PIERRE ALBOUY / AFP)

“Spain will proceed to close its airspace to Russian airlines,” the transport ministry said on Twitter, adding that it was following the “cooperation guidelines set by the European Union”.

Spain joins other European countries in stepping up sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

READ ALSO: How much influence does Russia have over Spain?

Among them are Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Luxembourg, Belgium and Poland who have closed their airspace to Russian flights, forcing westbound Russian planes to make enormous diversions.

EU leaders will meet again later today to discuss the latest package of sanctions against Russia.

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UKRAINE

‘Totally unprecedented’: Ukraine flag sales soar at Spanish factory

Far from the war in Ukraine, Eric Borney never dreamed his factory in the calm Spanish countryside would smash sales records making Ukrainian flags.

Published: 10 March 2022 17:20 CET
'Totally unprecedented': Ukraine flag sales soar at Spanish factory

“Usually we make four or five Ukrainian flags each year. But we’ve made 1,000 flags in 10 days,” he said, as steam rises from a roll of blue and yellow fabric dyed for Ukraine’s national banner.

“And it’s going up every day,” he added from his factory in Normandy in northwestern France.

At the entrance to the manufacturing site, the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag floats between France’s tricolour and the company’s flag.

For factory seamstress Marie-Christine Sebert, making a Ukrainian flag is “something important”.

“We are showing (the Ukrainian people) that we are there for them, despite everything, even if we are not fighting side by side,” she told AFP.

Other manufacturers across the world have reported a rise in demand for the Ukrainian yellow and blue flag since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.

French company Doublet’s subsidiaries in Spain and Germany “are receiving similar requests,” according to the parent company.

Borney’s family business saw previous sales peaks for major national events, including the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks and France’s top performance in the 2018 World Cup.

But nothing of this magnitude for another country’s flag, which he said is “totally unprecedented”.

“We did not expect this at all. France is not a border country. It’s 2,000 kilometres away,” he said.

“But people are more affected than if it’s a war in Africa or a bit farther away.”

With the spike in demand, the small business shot into action, delivering flags in under four days.

Borney didn’t say how much he’s earned from the surge in orders, only that it’s “not negligible” — particularly after losses due to the pandemic and a surge in prices for raw materials.

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