The US Department of Commerce through the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Friday effectively grounded 100 aircraft, both commercial and privately owned that have flown to Russia in violation of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The owners and operators of the grounded planes include Roman Abramovich, Aeroflot, Aviastar, Azur Air, Nordwind and Utair.

In response to the Ukrainian invasion, the BIS imposed controls on aviation-related items destined for Russia. Similar controls were established for aircraft items heading for Belarus to assist in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The BIS identified a list of flights owned or controlled by Russian nationals that had flown from third countries to Russia. The BIS took action pursuant to the General Prohibition Ten of the EAR, which provides that any subsequent actions taken with regard to any of the listed aircraft, including, but not limited to, refueling, maintenance, repair or the provision of spare parts or services may violate the EAR. Penalties for violating the EAR include substantial jail time, fines, loss of export privileges or other restrictions.

Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves explained the rationale behind the department’s action:

The actions we have taken to date have isolated Russia and Belarus from the global economy, and I hope that today’s action brings that fact home to the Russian businesses and oligarchs that seek to continue their operations, We are working with our allies and partners to ensure that Russia and Belarus understand that our actions aren’t idle words or dead letters on the page. They have real teeth and as Putin’s vicious war continues, they will continue to bite harder on the Russian and Belarusian economies.

The department has released the list containing specific tail numbers on their website and will continue to update it.