This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
The U.S. Commerce Department has identified seven Boeing 737 Planes operated by Belarusian national carrier Belavia that are in apparent violation of U.S. export controls.
The aircraft are the first to be identified since restrictions on Belarus were tightened last week in response to Minsk’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The export controls bar companies around the world from providing any refueling, maintenance, repair, spare parts, or other services to the identified airplanes, effectively grounding them.
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry Security (BIS) is also updating the tail numbers of 32 planes already listed as likely in violation of U.S. law to account for their purported reregistration in Russia, the department said on April 14 in a news release.
The aircraft have flown into Russia or Belarus in apparent violation of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the Commerce Department said.
The list of planes subject to restrictions — imposed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — now includes 146 Russian-owned or operated aircraft and the seven Belarusian aircraft.
“By rejecting the international rule of law, Russia and Belarus have made it clear that they do not deserve the benefits of participating in the global economy, and that includes international travel,” Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves said in the news release.
