The Commerce Department said Friday it had identified 100 commercial and private aircraft that had violated US export controls by flying to Russia and that their owners, operators and maintenance personnel were at risk of significant jail time, fines, loss of export privileges or other restrictions.
The announcement said it “notified” the world not to repair or refuel the planes, highlighting the scope of the new restrictions.
Since March 2, the department has identified a number of commercial and private flights to Russia that are believed to have violated restrictions, including on aircraft owned or operated by Aeroflot, AirBridgeCargo, Aviastar-TU, Azur Air, Nordwind, Utair and Roman Abramovich, a Russian billionaire with ties to President Vladimir V. Putin, according to the announcement. Most of the identified aircraft are made by Boeing.
On February 24, the ministry imposed broad restrictions on technology that could be exported to Russia, as part of an effort to cripple the country’s military and strategic industries. In addition to semiconductors, telecommunications equipment and sensors, the restrictions prohibit aircraft and some aircraft parts made in the US from being shipped to Russia.
As a result of the rules, any aircraft manufactured in the United States or manufactured abroad that uses certain American components or technology must be licensed to travel to Russia.
And any entity providing services to those aircraft, including maintenance, repair and refueling, would also be in violation of the rules, the trade division said.
By preventing these planes from receiving any service, flights to and from Russia on these planes are effectively grounded, the Commerce Department said.
“We will not allow Russian and Belarusian companies and oligarchs to travel with impunity in violation of our laws,” Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo said in a statement.
