Transit flights of planes belonging to Russian airlines across Ukraine are permitted despite the introduction of sanctions against Russian airlines if the planes do not carry weapons or dual-purpose cargo, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Andriy Pyvovarsky told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

It was reported earlier that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had signed a decree on September 16 to enact a National Security and Defense Council resolution of September 2 'On the application of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions)', which applies to several Russian airlines, including Russia's flagship carrier Aeroflot.

Similar sanctions have been imposed on the following airlines: the 224th Flight Unit, VIM Airlines, Gazpromavia, Donavia Airlines, Kogalymavia Airlines Ltd., Orenburg Airlines Federal State Unitary Enterprise, Aircompany Polet, Red Wings, State Transport Company Rossiya - Russian Airlines, RusJet, RusLine, Siberia Airlines (S7), Transaero Airlines, Ural Airlines, Yakutia Airlines, Yamal Airlines and others.

The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers ruled to ban these Russian airlines from flying to Ukraine on September 25.

The Ukrainian State Aviation Service has carried out all the necessary procedures to notify Russian airlines of the Ukrainian sanctions. It was reported on September 29 that Rosaviation had notified Ukrainian airlines of being banned from using Russian airspace starting from October 25.

Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Andriy Pyvovarsky said that by imposing sanctions on Russian airlines Ukraine was not seeking to build an iron curtain between the two countries.

The minister pointed out that the Ukrainian sanction list included 29 Russian airlines, 27 of which had illegally flown to the occupied Crimea and two Ukrainian airlines nationalized by the so-called government of temporarily occupied Crimea.

On October 12 it was announced that as the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviation) has not explained the reasons for restricting Ukrainian airlines' flights in Russian airspace starting October 25, 2015, the Ukrainian State Aviation Service has decided to fully terminate commercial air services between Ukraine and Russia starting from this date.

"This measure will be applied to all Russian airlines and will remain in effect until the bans imposed on Ukrainian airlines by the Russian Federation's aviation authorities are lifted. After Russia lifts the bans, Russian airlines that are not on the sanction list will be able to fly to Ukraine," the Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry said.