Russian airlines with foreign-leased planes told not to fly abroad from March 6

Russia's state aviation authority on Saturday recommended Russian airlines with foreign-leased aicraft to suspend flights of passengers and cargo abroad from Russia from March 6 and from foreign countries to Russia starting on March 8.

The European Union, Britain and United States and some other countries closed their airspace starting next week, part of a package of punitive measures after Russia invaded Ukraine. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation."