Polish Airline Denies Boarding to Russian Tennis Player: "No Russian Nationals Allowed"

Lufthansa Germany Refuses Ticket Sales

A Russian tennis player was reportedly denied boarding on a flight operated by a Polish airline, drawing international attention. As the Ukraine war prolongs and anti-Russian sentiment grows particularly in Eastern European countries neighboring Russia, resentment toward the entire Russian population appears to be increasing.

[Image source=Poland LOT Airlines]

According to CNN on the 26th (local time), Vitalia Diatchenko (32), a Russian female tennis player, was denied boarding on a LOT Polish Airlines flight from Cairo, Egypt, and returned to Moscow. She attempted to purchase a flight with the German airline Lufthansa, but Lufthansa reportedly refused to sell her a ticket.

Diatchenko expressed her frustration on her social media, saying, "I planned to participate in a tennis tournament held in Corsica, France, via Warsaw, Poland, and Nice, France," adding, "However, I ended up sleeping at the airport, being treated like a third-rate citizen, and losing thousands of euros."

LOT Airlines stated in a press release, "Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we did not allow Russian nationals to board in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Polish Ministry of the Interior." LOT explained that the regulations from the Polish Ministry of the Interior restrict certain border crossings, including airports, for Russian nationals traveling from outside the Schengen Area.

Earlier, the European Union (EU) agreed to ban all flights originating from Russia from entering its airspace and to restrict the issuance of Schengen Area free travel visas following the outbreak of the Ukraine war. In September last year, Finland joined Baltic Sea countries and Poland in closing borders to Russian tourists.

This measure is seen as symbolically reflecting the growing anti-Russian sentiment in Eastern European countries neighboring Russia. There are also forecasts that the boycott against Russian players in tennis, a sport that had previously allowed Russian athletes to participate as neutral players, will be strengthened.

Previously, the Wimbledon Tennis Championships banned Russian and Belarusian players from participating last year but reversed the decision in March this year to allow them to compete as neutral players.