Russian plane lands in Bucharest to evacuate diplomats despite EU airspace ban

By Mehmet Serkan Eruysal

BUCHAREST (AA) - A Russian plane landed at the Henri Coanda airport in Romania's capital Bucharest on Saturday to evacuate its diplomats, for the first time since the EU closed its airspace to Russian planes due to Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Bucharest made an exception, and allowed the aircraft to pick up its embassy staff. A total of 40 personnel at the Russian embassy in Bucharest will leave Romania with their families on the civilian plane, the Romanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The approval was obtained from the National Defense Ministry, it added.

Romania had asked Russia to reduce the number of staff at its embassy in Bucharest on June 8, and that accreditation of some employees would be canceled if the decision is not followed.