Russians seemed unconvinced, with flights to destinations that still have direct flights from Moscow, like Istanbul and Serbian capital Belgrade, quickly selling out. Flights from Moscow to Istanbul are fully booked through Saturday, according to Turkish Airlines’ website. Key BackgroundPutin suggested that the war in Ukraine is about to escalate significantly, saying the “partial mobilization” of reserve forces will take place immediately. Ukrainian forces say they discovered evidence of Russian war crimes there, including mass graves in a forest outside the town that held hundreds of bodies. TangentThe U.S., U.K. and European Union closed airspace to Russian flights within days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, significantly limiting destinations to which Russians can directly fly.

Source: Forbes September 22, 2022 03:24 UTC