Russia has banned British airlines from landing at its airports or crossing its airspace, its state civil aviation regulator said on Friday.
The move comes after Boris Johnson announced a ban on the flights of Russian flag carrier Aeroflot imposed as a direct response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday, Mr Johnson slammed Vladimir Putin for the attack, describing him as a "blood-stained aggressor who believes in imperial conquest".
Boris Johnson has unveiled a whole host of sanctions on Russia
House of Commons
"He is hurling the might of the military machine against a free and peaceful neighbour in breach of his own explicit pledge and every principle of civilised behaviour between states, spurning the best efforts of this country and our allies to avoid bloodshed," he said.
"For this, Putin will stand condemned in the eyes of the world and of history.
"He will never be able to condemn the blood for Ukraine off his hands."
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace says he believes Russia's move to ban Aeroflot is a direct retaliation of the UK's move yesterday.
"I think that's their retaliation for us yesterday banning Aeroflot from using and landing in the United Kingdom. That's their tit for tat response," Wallace told ITV's Good Morning Britain.
On top of the imminent ban on Aeroflot, Johnson also pledged to prevent all Russian companies to raise finances on UK markets and suspend the use of export licences to Russia.
UK's sanctions on Russia in full:
- Plans to impose an asset freeze on all major Russian banks including an immediate freeze against VTB which has assets of around £154bn
- Legislation to be introduced on Tuesday to prevent Russian companies to raise finances on UK markets
- To issue sanctions against individuals, entities and their subsidiaries include Rostec - Russia's largest defence company
- Look to imminently ban Russian airline Aeroflot from landing in the UK
- To immediately suspend the use of export licences to Russia
- Legislation "within days" to prohibit a wide range of tech exports to Russia.
- Legislation to limit the amount of deposits Russian nationals will be able to hold in UK bank accounts.
- To work with G7 and NATO allies to shut off Russia's access to the SWIFT payment system
- To extend this full range of measures to Belarus
- To bring forward the Economic Crime Bill which takes action against Russians who raise funds in the UK.
