The U.N. peacekeeping department said it temporarily suspended the contracts of two Russian air transportation firms active in Sudan and Democratic Republic of the Congo after several staff were charged with sexual abuse of local residents...U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations...spokesman Kieran Dwyer confirmed that some allegations of severe sexual misconduct against several employees of UTair Aviation and Nefteyugansk United Airline, which provide airplane and helicopter services for U.N. missions...were found to be true..."The two air operators were temporarily suspended and the employees involved were dismissed and barred from future participation in any U.N. missions." UTair and Nefteyugansk are operating flights again for the United Nations, but are being closely monitored by the United Nations, Dwyer said. The two Russian firms did not respond to requests for comment. It was unclear how long their contracts were suspended...If the companies fail to convince the compliance monitors and the United Nations that they have taken measures to prevent such misconduct in the future...the world body "could bar these companies from doing further business with the U.N." [The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited UTair Aviation & Nefteyugansk United Airline to respond. Companies' responses are below.]