Russia introduces new procedures for airspace infringements

(ATO.ru)

Russia’s armed forces are authorised to bring down a civilian aircraft in an exceptional airspace infringement provided there are no passengers or hostages onboard. These are the provisions of new Rules of Engagement in Russian airspace border control, which have been approved by Mikhail Mishustin, the country’s prime minister. The upgraded document has been publicised on an official legislation website.

According to the new regulations, the Russian Aerospace Forces must first transmit radio commands and visual signals to a Russian airspace intruder. If the intruder persists on its flight path, it shall be forced to land or be deported.

If there is evidence that an aircraft has been hijacked, the military shall force it to land at designated airfields and, in the case of refusal to comply with the commands, the aircraft may be subjected to fire, but only if there are no hostages onboard.

The new edition of the regulations is a replacement of the 1994 version, which also prohibited the shooting of aircraft with passengers.