The United States asked Greece to close the airspace for Russian aircraft

The Greek Foreign Ministry has confirmed receipt of a request from the United States to close the country's airspace for flights of Russian aviation with a cargo of humanitarian aid for Syria.

According to Reuters, the document is currently under review.

Meanwhile, the Russian agency RIA Novosti previously reported, citing a diplomatic source in Athens, that Greece allegedly rejected the relevant US request so as not to worsen relations with Russia.

According to him, Moscow requested Athens permission to fly for the transportation of humanitarian aid to Syria in the period from 1 to 24 in September and received it.

On Monday, the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, Vladimir Puchkov, said that the department carries out various international humanitarian operations, including assisting Syria and other states in the region.

Russia, as a rule, uses the Syrian port city of Lattakia for the delivery of humanitarian aid. The direct route from Moscow to Latakia passes over the territory of Turkey.

As military observer Pavel Felgenhauer explained to the BBC Russian Service, in the past Russia had problems delivering cargo to Syria through Turkish territory.

“Several years ago, Turkish authorities detained a plane flying from Moscow to Syria with military equipment. The people and the plane were eventually released, but the cargo was confiscated. Therefore, Russia has no choice but to use Greek airspace. There is, of course, the option of delivering goods through Iran and Iraq. Iran, as a country friendly to Russia, may allow the planes to pass, but Iraq is under the influence of the Americans. But the goods need to be delivered urgently, time is short,” he says.