Aeroflot, Pobeda and S7 said they could not return to Russia passengers who remained in Montenegro due to the closure of the border by the authorities of that country to prevent the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19. Russian airlines cannot obtain permission to carry out export charter flights from Tivat. The Federal Air Transport Agency and the Russian Foreign Ministry are addressing this issue. According to a TASS source, Montenegro requires the Russian authorities to take out 50 of its citizens free of charge in exchange for permission to take Russian citizens out of Tivat. Aeroflot currently has more than 100 passengers in Montenegro, and Pobeda has about a thousand.

      “The Montenegrin government demanded to bring 50 Montenegrin citizens from Moscow to Tivat without tickets for permission to evacuate Russians from their territory,” a TASS source said. A free flight will be provided to Montenegrin citizens from Moscow by these airlines.”

      In Montenegro, two cases of coronavirus were first detected. Prior to this, this country was the only one in Europe where no cases of infection were recorded. Since March 16, authorities have closed borders for foreigners and interrupted air, rail and bus services.