A Russian plane flew to Paraguay after it failed to refuel in Argentina, raising alarm from the opposition.

EL CALAFATE.- Ten months after the international storm when a Venezuelan plane with an Iranian crew arrived in Buenos Aires, another plane set off the alarm. Now it was a Russian private plane that spent 24 hours in El Calafate, from where it had to fly to Asuncion del Paraguay to refuel. The reason? Oil companies operating at Argentine airports have refused to provide cargo service.

The refusal to refuel a Bombardier aircraft in Argentina, registration RA-73550 of RusJet, was in response to international sanctions faced by the Russian Federation after its invasion of Ukraine, which in some circumstances extends to its citizens and property. .

The Russian plane landed at El Calafate “Armando Dola” International Airport on Saturday at 5:47 pm from Sao Pablo-Guarulhos Airport in Brazil. Once on the soil of Santa Cruz, the crew completed the usual customs and immigration procedures, as with all private planes landing at any Argentine airport without registering a previous stop at another airport in the country.

A lightning tour of the Russian plane through the territory of Argentina led to a request for reports of the administrative authority issued by the national representatives. Hernan Lombardi (PRO) and Ricardo Lopez Murphy (United Republicans). They need details about the aircraft, its crew, passengers, stops, “as well as its implications and consequences”.

In this sense, consultation through Argentine and Paraguayan sources Nation They confirmed the flight was unable to refuel at El Calafate due to restrictions faced by Russian-flagged aircraft, and passengers were grounded on the side of the runway during the 24-hour journey. Perito Moreno Glacier.

As this media was able to verify from various airport sources, There is no written document in Argentine aviation regulations prohibiting refueling of Russian-registered aircraft, but oil companies operating in Argentina avoid potential sanctions imposed by the United States. For companies that serve Russian-flagged aircraft listed on North American stock exchanges.

However, in El Calafate, the arrival of a private plane is not surprising, as private planes often land with wealthy tourists from many countries who travel to the ends of the earth to see the Perito Moreno glacier. Usually staying at a boutique hotel on the outskirts of town or one of the four or five star hotels in town.

On its journey, the aircraft had to avoid European airspace due to restrictions imposed on the Russian Federation, leaving Moscow on April 21 and continuing to San, via Morocco’s Casablanca airport on April 22. Pablo, Brazil, the city he arrived at on the same day.

After he went to São Paulo, according to the flight logs he attached Nation, the flight proceeded to El Calafate without further stops. He stayed there for only 24 hours. On Sunday the 23rd, it took off from Santa Cruz at 6:00pm and landed at Ezeiza International Airport about three hours later.

“At El Calafate airport, nothing of note happened, while in Ezeiza the passengers got off the plane, completed all the paperwork and entered Buenos Aires without any problems,” he said. Nation An Argentine source checks Bombardier’s movements around the country.

Confirmed Argentine and Paraguayan sources advised that if the passengers did not encounter the problem, the plane would have encountered them. Oil companies that provide fuel to planes passing through Ezeiza have refused to provide their services to Bombardier because of the possibility that the US government could use a permit for them.

Faced with this situation, without passengers, four crew members of the Bombardier took off for Asuncion an hour after landing in Ezeiza. They arrived at Guarani Airport with reservations, where they were able to refuel with the help of AG Aero Services, and shortly after returned to Buenos Aires.

At the same time, in the forms they have to fill out at Paraguay’s most important Silvio Petrossi International Airport, they specify the passengers, nationalities and activities of the flight. Russians Elia Chevryukov (pilot), Igor Shadalov (first officer) and Yulia Benkina (stewardess), Argentinian Federico Pereira (navigator) appear as crew members.

One of the crew members initially activated the alarms of airport authorities, although it was later dismissed. The name “Igor Shatalov” is one of the Russian citizens recognized by the Canadian and Ukrainian governments. Vladimir PutinEven if it is a name that works or works for the giant Gazprom.

Back in Argentine territory, the plane landed in Ezesa, where it left a member of the crew, who would be Pereira, according to the reconstruction. Nation, when their passengers boarded, one more was added to it. Neither his identity nor his nationality have been released. Shortly thereafter, Bombardier left for Sao Paulo, Brazil. He would have left from there Rio de JaneiroHe was the last known target.