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| Russia threatens to begin searching British planes if UK does not explain actions on Aeroflot flight at Heathrow | Russia threatens to begin searching British planes if UK does not explain actions on Aeroflot flight at Heathrow |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Russian embassy has accused British authorities of “blatant provocation” after an Aeroflot flight was allegedly searched by Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport. | |
| The Kremlin warned it may “take similar action against British airlines” unless it receives an explanation for the search, which it claimed could have been “illegal”. | |
| The passenger jet was searched upon landing at Heathrow Airport following a scheduled flight from Moscow on Friday, according to the Russian embassy in London. | The passenger jet was searched upon landing at Heathrow Airport following a scheduled flight from Moscow on Friday, according to the Russian embassy in London. |
| The embassy suggested the plane had been searched in connection with the diplomatic crisis which has erupted following the Salisbury spy poisoning. | The embassy suggested the plane had been searched in connection with the diplomatic crisis which has erupted following the Salisbury spy poisoning. |
| It also claimed Border Force and customs officers at first tried to search the plane without the crew, although the captain was eventually allowed to be present. | It also claimed Border Force and customs officers at first tried to search the plane without the crew, although the captain was eventually allowed to be present. |
| On Saturday, the Russian Ministry of Transport said in a statement: “If there is no explanation, the Russian side will deem the actions towards our plane as illegal and also reserve the right to take similar action against British airlines.” | |
| The Metropolitan Police, which is coordinating the investigation into the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, said it was not part of the search. | The Metropolitan Police, which is coordinating the investigation into the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, said it was not part of the search. |
| Securities minister Ben Wallace described the search as "routine". | |
| The Russian embassy said it had complained to its British counterparts and called for an explanation. | |
| “We have witnessed another blatant provocation by the British authorities,” it said in a statement. “This kind of event is extraordinary. Moreover, the British officials tried to search the aircraft without the crew being present, something categorically prohibited by the rules in force. | |
| “After an Embassy officer arrived at the airport long negotiations were conducted that allowed to ensure the right of the captain to be take part in the search. After the search was over, the British officers refused to provide any written document that would specify the reasons for their actions, their legal foundation and their outcome. | |
| “Our attempts to get in touch with the Foreign Office in order to clarify the reasons of the inappropriate behaviour of British officials did not bring fruit. The embassy has sent a diplomatic note demanding the British side to provide explanations of the incident. | |
| “At this moment, we have no other explanation but that the incident at Heathrow is in one way or another connected with the hostile policy that the UK government is conducting with regard to Russia.” | |
| Security minister Ben Wallace said: “It is routine for Border Force to search aircraft to protect the UK from organised crime and from those who attempt to bring harmful substances like drugs or firearms into the country. | |
| “Once these checks were carried out the plane was allowed to carry on with its onward journey.” | |
| The row came after the Kremlin ordered Britain to reduce the number of diplomats in Moscow to the same amount Russia has in London. | The row came after the Kremlin ordered Britain to reduce the number of diplomats in Moscow to the same amount Russia has in London. |
| Ambassadors from more than 20 countries were called into the foreign ministry in Moscow on Friday to be told of the latest wave of retaliatory measures after dozens of nations banished Russian diplomats that they said were undeclared intelligence agents. | |
| The UK expelled 23 Russian diplomats in the wake of the poisoning of Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia with a novichok nerve agent. | |
| Laurie Bristow, the UK ambassador in Moscow, was among those called into the foreign ministry on Friday. | |
| He told reporters: "It is important to bear in mind why this crisis has arisen in the first place. | |
| "It's the use of a chemical weapon on the streets of the United Kingdom that has threatened the lives of a number of people in my country. We asked certain questions of the Russian state and have still not received adequate answers." | |
| Russia has told a number of countries - including Ireland, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Finland, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Norway and Australia - they must bring the same number of diplomats as they had ordered to leave their nations. | |
| So far, more than 150 Russian diplomats have been told to return home by the UK's allies. | |
| The Russian embassy said on Friday it "insists" on the right to see Ms Skripal after it emerged on Thursday she was improving rapidly. | |
| The 33-year-old, who is a Russian citizen, spent three weeks in a critical condition after being exposed to the novichok on 4 March. | |
| Ms Skripal's father, a former MI6 spy, remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital. |