PARIS, France – The U.S. Commerce Department is warning that servicing certain aircraft tied to Russia could constitute a violation of export laws.
The department provided a list of aircraft that are in ‘apparent violation’ of Export Administration Regulations, known as EAR, including one owned by prominent oligarch Roman Abramovich.
The export restrictions were put in place last month in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The department has since compiled this list, which it say is not exhaustive.
The department, in a statement, warned against ‘providing any form of service to those aircraft requires authorization. Absent such authorization, any person anywhere – including within Russia – risks violating the EAR and would be subject to BIS enforcement actions which could include substantial jail time, fines, loss export privileges, or other restrictions. By preventing these aircraft from receiving any services, for example including from abroad, international flights from Russia on these aircraft are effectively grounded’.
Some of the actions that are restricted include ‘refueling, maintenance, repair, or the provision of spare parts of services’.
‘We are publishing this list to put the world on notice – we will not allow Russian and Belarusian companies are oligarchs to travel with impunity in violation of our laws’, U.S. Commerce Secréter Gina Raimondo said in the statement.
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