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 may 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 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.
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 Russian embassy said it had complained to British counterparts and called for an explanation.
"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," the official said.
The Independent has approached the UK Home Office for a comment.
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 being imposed.
![]({"default":{"load":"default","w":"0","h":"0","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AAvj3mG.img?h=2&w=2&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f"}})
0 Comments