ALBAWABA - Russian tennis player Vitalia Diatchenko was banned from boarding a flight on Poland’s state-owned airline LOT, CNN reported citing the airlines on Wednesday.
Diatchenko, 32, was on her way to participate in a tournament from Egypt on Monday to Calvi in Corsica via Warsaw and Nice. LOT banned the athlete from entering the plane over restrictions linked to the Russian war in Ukraine.
Vitalia Diatchenko on Russian passport: “As an athlete who’s playing without any flag, not representing a country, just trying to get on with life & follow a career I loved all my life, is this fair to athletes who have no association with any part of the unfortunate situation” pic.twitter.com/5byidlzKlx
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 24, 2023
The tennis player posted on her Instagram story regretting being banned from boarding the plane only because she owns a "Russian passport."
Diatchenko said: "Airlines rules - suddenly do not allow any Russian to fly with LOT airlines." The Russian athlete described her journey after being banned from entering the Polish plane saying she was stuck for 18 hours and that she was forced to sleep on benches, no food was allowed and she wasn't allowed to leave Cairo Airport.
Due to EU sanctions & flight bans, Russian tennis player Vitalia Diatchenko was refused boarding to a flight operated by Polish flag carrier LOT, the airline confirmed on Tuesday. German airline Lufthansa then also refused to sell her a ticket. https://t.co/B67xrifvfD pic.twitter.com/BtaHl54BR2
— Glasnost Gone (@GlasnostGone) April 25, 2023
She further clarified that her father was born in Ukraine and that he works for the United Nations and detailed that despite airlines' policy usually allowing family members of people who have diplomatic passports to fly, her request was refused.
On the other hand, Polish Airlines released a statement: "The provisions of the regulation introduce restrictions at certain border crossings, including airport crossings, in relation to citizens of the Russian Federation traveling from outside the Schengen area."
Since the Russian war in Ukraine, many countries have imposed strict sanctions against Russian officials, celebrities and athletes.
