The Russian government has formally proposed the immediate reinstatement of direct flights to the Dominican Republic, aiming to eliminate grueling 30-hour travel itineraries and revitalize a tourism link that has been fractured since the start of the conflict in Ukraine.
Speaking during an interview on the morning program El Despertador, the Russian Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Alexey Victorovich Seredin, stated that Moscow is “completely ready” to resume operations. According to the diplomat, the proposal has been officially submitted, and the decision now rests entirely with Dominican authorities.
“We offered the resumption of flights; the Russian side is fully prepared,” Seredin said, though he declined to speculate on why the Dominican government has yet to grant the final green light.
The 30-hour journey
The suspension of direct air travel, a byproduct of international sanctions and airspace restrictions following Russia’s military actions in Ukraine, has made traveling to the Dominican Republic from Russia a logistical marathon.
Ambassador Seredin shared his personal experience to highlight the disparity. His most recent trip to the country in April required 31 hours of travel, involving multiple layovers in Turkey, Panama, and Colombia. He noted that direct flights would slash that time to between 12 and 14 hours.
Before the suspension, the Russian market was a cornerstone of the Dominican Republic’s tourism sector. At its peak, the Caribbean nation welcomed approximately 400,000 Russian visitors annually, primarily arriving from Moscow and St. Petersburg, but also from cities in far eastern Russia.
The ambassador predicted that tourism numbers would “rise sharply” if the routes are restored. Beyond leisure travel, Seredin pointed to trade opportunities, noting that current bilateral exchange sits at roughly US$70 million, a figure he described as being far below the actual potential of the two nations.
As of now, the Dominican government has not issued a formal public response to the proposal.
Read more in Spanish:
El Despertador Minute 35
Noticias SIN
28 January 2026