As part of an ongoing conflict between Russia and Georgia, two Russian emergencies ministry planes, an Il-62 and an Il-76, were scheduled to take off Monday to evacuate Russians living in Georgia.
"I have been informed that Georgia has annulled permission for the flights of two Russian emergencies ministry planes over its territory," Ivan Volynkin, Russia's charge d'affaires in Georgia, said. "I do not know the reasons."
Georgia said in its turn that it was Russia's decision not to send the planes to Tbilisi.
"According to our information, Moscow cancelled the flights," a source in the Tbilisi airport administration said.
Earlier Monday, a head of Tbilisi's airport administration said there could be a problem with one of the aircraft.
"The Il-62 is a passenger airplane, and we have no problem with it," Giorgi Mzhavanadze said. "But we have a problem with the other Russian emergencies ministry's plane, an Il-76. That is a cargo plane, and there may be a problem with that."
Last Friday, two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin called for immigration laws to be tightened, Russia deported 180 Georgians over alleged immigration irregularities and retrieved 180 Russians from Tbilisi.
And on Sunday, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili prohibited the landing at the Tbilisi airport of Russian emergencies ministry's cargo planes carrying Georgian citizens, saying it was unacceptable to use cargo planes to transport people.
"It is absolutely unacceptable, when people fly in cargo planes," Saakashvili said. "We are not going to accept 'cattle wagons' anymore, only normal planes, with proper seating."
Relations between Russia and Georgia deteriorated after four Russian servicemen were arrested in Georgia on spying charges two weeks ago. Although they were released Monday, Russia suspended transport and postal links with Georgia, and threatened to cut off money transfers.
