Sri Lankan authorities have seized a Russian airliner belonging to the Aeroflot airline in connection with international sanctions imposed on Moscow as a result of its war with Ukraine.
On Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry withdrew its ambassador to Sri Lanka, saying the country should clarify the situation as soon as possible.
The Airbus A330 was supposed to take Russian tourists back to Russia, but last Thursday it was detained at Colombo airport until at least June 16.
The move was reported to be the result of a court ruling at the request of an Irish rental company claiming the plane was theirs.
On Friday, Airflot said it was making efforts to bring back passengers stranded in Sri Lanka and suspended the sale of new tickets.
