China refuses to supply airplane parts to Russia amidst ongoing war with Ukraine

In an unpredicted move, China has refused to supply Russian airlines with aircraft parts, Interfax News reported citing an official at Russia’s Aviation Authority. Boeing and Airbus have already halted their supplies in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, now a halt by China could heavily impact the industry. As the war entered its third week, thousands of people have been left dead while over two million have fled the country.

Meanwhile, speaking to the News Agency, Valery Kudinov, a Rosaviatsia official responsible for maintaining airplane airworthiness said that Kremlin was now looking for opportunities to source parts from countries including Turkey and India after a failed attempt to obtain them from China. He also revealed that Russian companies were now registering in Russia in a bid to avoid western sanctions.  

Boeing suspends sale of parts to Russia 

Aerospace company Boeing, on Sunday, suspended parts of its business in Russia. However, the company still has to deal with its association with a key titanium supplier led by a sanctioned oligarch who once worked with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the KGB, according to reports. Notably, Boeing has been obtaining about a third of its titanium from Russia, while the rest coming from the United States, Japan, China and Kazakhstan. Moreover, Boeing reportedly stated that it has halted purchasing Russian titanium ever since the latter's offensive against Ukraine.

It is pertinent to mention here that earlier on March 2, Boeing had announced it was suspending its support for Russian airlines and its operations in Moscow. American Airlines also mentioned that parts, maintenance, and technical support services for Russian airlines have also been suspended. 

What is happening in Ukraine?

As the Russian invasion of its western neighbour entered the third week, more than 2 million people have already fled the country to escape the bloodshed -- the largest migrant exodus since World War II. Ukrainian military denied any advancement in the past 24 hours on Thursday, except for Russian advances in the cities of Kharkiv and Mykolaiv. A new ceasefire was announced on Wednesday allowing residents in capital Kyiv to leave the city for western Ukrainian cities which are not under attack as of now. Fighting has continued in Northwest Kyiv and cities in Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Mariupol.

(Image: AP)