Russia refuses to allow European planes to land in Moscow

Retaliation over Belarus airspace row results in cancellation of flights from French and Austrian carriers

Russia has retaliated against a ban on carriers entering Belarus's airspace by refusing to grant permission to European planes flying to Moscow.

In an apparent escalation by the Kremlin, Russian aviation authorities on Thursday forced Austrian Airlines to cancel its flight from Vienna to the Russian capital. Air France also cancelled its Paris-Moscow flight for the second day in a row, after it was denied permission on Wednesday to land in Russia.