Russia puts all British Overseas Territories on ‘unfriendly’ list

Russia has added 11 British Overseas Territories, including Bermuda, to its list of unfriendly countries, according to Russian news agency Tass.

This follows Britain’s move to impose economic sanctions on Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine in February.

There was no immediate reaction to the report from the Bermuda government or Governor Rena Lalgie, who represents the British monarch on the island.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused countries and territories on the list of taking “unfriendly actions” against his government.

Originally, the list included only three British-controlled territories – Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, and Gibraltar.

The 11 new additions are Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, the Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Akrotiri and Dhekelia, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

“Thus, all 14 British Overseas Territories are now included in the unfriendly countries list,” a Kremlin spokesman said.

There are now more than 60 countries and territories on the list, including the United States, Canada, and all European Union nations.

In March the Government of Bermuda indicated that it will follow the United Kingdom’s sanctions against Russia. Bermuda being an Overseas Territory of the UK implements its domestic sanctions legislation, which follows the UK sanctions model closely.

Bermuda suspended certification of all Russian-operated aircraft registered on the island because of international sanctions over the war in Ukraine. The move was expected to affect more than 700 planes.

Manufacturers also stopped providing parts to Russian airlines as part of the sanctions. As a result, the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority said it was unable to confidently approve the planes as airworthy.

In retaliation, Russia removed the island as the airworthiness authority, resulting in a tug-of-war over aircraft supervision.

CMC/