Ukraine raid also puts pressure on logistics and supply chain of Dutch companies. Russian airspace has been off limits to aircraft from European countries since Monday. Meanwhile, new port bans are looming.
It represents an additional logistical setback for the business community, which has already been dealing with damaged sea and airports in Ukraine and reduced transit of raw materials since last week. According to Het Financieele Dagblad, the route over Russia is very important for air traffic between Europe and Asia. Detours cause delays and extra costs.
Britain has had a ban on ships from Russia and those linked to people with ties in Russia since Monday. A similar port ban for ships from Russia is also being worked on from the European Union.
Meanwhile, rail transport has also been disrupted. The rail link from China is largely through the Belarusian rail network. The railway line is still functioning, according to TLN, but rail in Belarus has been disrupted by cyber attacks and the transport of military equipment. Moreover, the first freight forwarders have stopped offering rail transport through Russia and Belarus. It is expected that others will soon follow. Companies using rail transport from the Far East have to reckon with very low capacity, according to the industry association.
