Ukraine Bans Russian Planes, Software

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said on September 25 that his government has banned flights of Russian airlines, primarily Aeroflot and Transaero, to Ukraine starting October 1.

Speaking at a cabinet session on September 25, Yatsenyuk said that in accordance with decisions made by the National Security and Defense Council, Russian transit flights to Ukraine will still be allowed unless they contain military equipment or military personnel.

Earlier this month, Kyiv blacklisted 25 Russian aviation companies as threats to its national security.

Yatsenyuk also said the use of Russian software -- particularly Kaspersky Lab antivirus software -- by official and state bodies in Ukraine has also been banned.

Kyiv-Moscow relations are extremely poor due to Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March last year and support for pro-Russian separatists in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine's eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.

Based on reporting by Reuters, UNIAN and yatsenyuk.org.ua