Russia extends suspension of flights to Turkey until June 21 over COVID

Russia will extend temporary restrictions on flights to Turkey until June 21 due to the serious coronavirus situation there, the country's anti-coronavirus crisis center announced Monday.

Meanwhile, flights between Moscow and the Belarusian capital of Minsk will be increased to up to 10 per week as of June 10, it said in a statement.

Air service between Russia and Turkey was temporarily restricted from April 15 to June 1, with the decision taken on April 12.

Since first being detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019, the virus has claimed more than 3.5 million lives in 192 countries and regions, with more than 170.48 million cases reported worldwide, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University.