Russian President Vladimir Putin made the surprise decision to restore direct flights between the two countries. They had been officially banned since 2019, in response to movements in Georgia deemed "hostile to Russia" Georgia's president, pro-European Salome Zurabishvili, criticized this "new provocation" from Russia.
Conversely, the Prime Minister, perceived as pro-Russian, welcomed the resumption of flights, specifying that only Russian companies and aircraft exempt from Western sanctions would be allowed to operate in Georgia.