UK bans Russian airline Aeroflot from its airspace, says PM Boris Johnson

PM Boris Johnson told UK parliament that Putin “will never be able to cleanse the blood of Ukraine from his hands.”

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Britain is banning Aeroflot from its airspace, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced, stating the sanctions are in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. PM Johnson told parliament that Putin “will never be able to cleanse the blood of Ukraine from his hands.”

In the 10-point sanctions package, the British government said it would impose an asset freeze on some major Russian banks, including state-owned VTB, its second-biggest bank, and stop major Russian companies from raising finance in Britain.

Speaking to parliament, Johnson said Putin would be condemned by the world and by history for his invasion, never able to cleanse the "blood of Ukraine" from his hands. "This hideous and barbarous venture of Vladimir Putin must end in failure," he told parliament when announcing the new sanctions.

"For our part today the UK is announcing the largest and most severe package of economic sanctions that Russia has ever seen."

This is a developing story. 

With inputs from Reuters