EU leaders demand immediate release of Belarus dissident, urge bloc's airlines to avoid Belarus airspace
2 week agoConclusions on Belarus adopted at EUCO chaired by @eucopresident
2 week agoThe final EUCO conclusions on Belarus stronger than the initial drafts that only referred to "additional listing" - now we have "further targeted economic sanctions" as well
KLM stops flying over Belarus after a call from Rutte
Pro-Lukashenka Telegram channels published video statement by Raman Protasevich. He says he has no health problems, he is in the main Minsk pre-trial detention facility
Lufthansa says it is suspending operations in Belarus air space
Russian and Belarusian Prime Ministers discussed situation with Ryanair aircraft in a phone call
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte calls on KLM to stop flying over Belarus after the forced landing of a RyanAir flight and the arrest of an opposition activist who was on board that aircraft
Ukraine will completely suspend flights to or via Belarus - Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council
2 week agoEU summit condemns Belarus' forced landing of Ryanair flight, says: Protasevich and Sapaga must be immediately released; To adopt more individual sanctions as soon as possible; Calls on all EU-based carriers to avoid Belarusian airspace
Commission President Von der Leyen says that there is a 3 billion euro package ready for a democratic Belarus. the package might be presented to EU foreign ministers in June
"I don't have a new definition of what happened here," responds @PressSec when asked by @weijia if the @Ryanair incident was a "hijacking"
2 week ago"There's not been an update, I don't believe," replies @PressSec when asked if it's safe for US airlines to fly over Belarus
His national security team briefed @POTUS this morning on Belarus, says @PressSec, calling the @Ryanair incident "a shocking act" but "we have nothing to read out at this point" on consultations with EU partners
Latvia in response expels the Ambassador of Belarus and all diplomats
The Belarusian authorities demanded that all employees of the Latvian embassy leave the country, said the head of the country's Foreign Ministry Vladimir Makei. Latvia will be allowed to leave only one administrative and technical employee to care for the building.
Ukraine will cease air connection with Belarus. Planes flying from and to Ukraine will have to avoid Belarus airspace
British government orders UK aircraft to avoid Belarus airspace, suspends operating permit of country's flag carrier Belavia
Josep Borrell Fontelles: Spoke with Sviatlana @Tsihanouskaya following yesterday's coercive act by the Belarusian government, which crossed another red line jeopardising safety of passengers and plane crew in their blatant action to detain a Belarusian activist. EUCO will discuss next steps
PM @MorawieckiM on the hijacking of a civilian plane in Minsk: It was an act of state terrorism made by Belarus. At the EUCO, I will propose a suspension of all EU-Belarus flights until Raman Pratasiewicz and the unjustly detained Poles are released
2 week agoLh1487 is now airborne in Minsk
The aircraft of the Belarusian Air Force did not force the Ryanair board to turn around at the state border, the commander of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces say
Minsk airport says no threat found after threat at Lufthansa aircraft. To depart shortly
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya says that Raman Protasevich's girlfriend Sofiya Sapieha is at Akrestsina jail
Minsk airport says they have received terrorist attack threat against Lufthansa LH1487 Minsk-Frankfurt via email
The EU summoned the ambassador of Belarus due to the incident with the plane.
2 week agoMinsk airport: all passengers of Lufthansa Minsk-Frankfurt ordered to de-board the plane for additional baggage check
FM of Lithuania: Unprecedented threats from BY government which hijacked Ryanair plane on 23/05 requires immediate response: LT citizens strongly advised against travel to BY & flights over BY banned. Today we shall seek further unequivocal measures together with our EU allies
2 week agoGitanas Nausėda:After Belarus government took terrorist action by hijacking a passenger aircraft, together with Presidents of Latvia @valstsgriba & Estonia @KerstiKaljulaid we agreed to insist on the Belarusian airspace to be declared unsafe. The EU airspace should also be closed for Belarusian airlines
The Belarusian authorities are ready to provide all information on the incident with the Ryanair aircraft, - Russian FM Lavrov says
The Russian Foreign Ministry denies that they are doing nothing regarding the detention of a Russian woman in Minsk
NATO ambassadors will tomorrow discuss Belarus and the forced landing of the Ryanair plane
2 week agoRossiya - Special Flight Squadron (Russian Government) passenger jet descending for Minsk, Belarus from Moscow. RSD032 is Tu-214 RA-64521 14FC09
2 week agoWizz Air flight from Kyiv to Tallinn avoiding Belarus airspace
Lukashenka banned journalists from reporting on unauthorised protests and banned everyone from collecting money to pay protesters' fines
Lukashenka signed a law that, in the event of threats to national security, gives the Belarusian authorities the right to restrict the operation of telecommunication networks
The Russian embassy says it is checking reports on the detention of a Russian woman in Minsk yesterday
Russia will not leave Belarus alone in trouble - Lavrov
Lukashenka signed laws prohibiting journalists from participating in and organizing mass events
Russia is concerned about the calls of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to mobilize protests in the republic, - says Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
The Belarusian authorities have recognized more than 50 channels and chats in Telegram as extremist.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson says reaction of the West on the incident with the Ryanair plane in Belarus is shocking
Minsk considers harsh statements by the EU on the situation with the plane premature, - the Foreign Ministry said
2 week agoRyanair CEO Michael O'Leary: "It appears the intent of the authorities was to remove a journalist and his travelling companion, and we believe there were also some KGB agents offloaded off the aircraft.This was a case of state-sponsored hijacking, state-sponsored piracy"
Belarus flight diversion 'aviation piracy': Irish foreign minister
EU leaders are meeting today to discuss Belarus after a flight from Greece to Lithuania carrying an opposition activist was diverted to Minsk, a top European official saying: "Those responsible for the Ryanair hijacking must be sanctioned"
MP of Ukrainian Parliament Shevchenko was expelled from the "Servant of the People" faction after his support of Lukashenka actions
2 week agoPrime Minister's @IngridaSimonyte Statement on a civilian plane and its passengers detained by military force in Minsk
2 week agoAirBaltic is already started to fly around Belarus after yesterday's hijacking of a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius
AirBaltic is now flying around Belarusian airspace
2 week agoUS Sec of State Blinken condemns Belarus' Lukashenka government forced downing of Ryanair flight & arrest of journalist Roman Protasevich. Says US coordinating response with EU
Ursula von der Leyen:The outrageous and illegal behaviour of the government in Belarus will have consequences. Those responsible for the Ryanair hijacking must be sanctioned. Journalist Roman Protasevich must be released immediately. EUCO will discuss tomorrow action to take
2 week agoLithuanian PM Ingrida Šimonytė is in the airport in Vilnius where crowds have gathered to greet the plane from Minsk.There is information that 2 Belarusian citizens and 4 Russians didn't arrive. Another Belarusian citizen is Raman's friend with whom he was flying back to Vilnius
Jens Stoltenberg: Closely monitoring forcible landing in Belarus of flight to Vilnius & reported detention of opposition figure Roman Protasevich. This is a serious & dangerous incident which requires international investigation. Belarus must ensure safe return of crew & all passengers
Ryanair landed in Vilnius
Statement from @Ryanair to @VOANews on the incident involving FR4978
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda:Unprecedented event. A civilian passenger plane flying to Vilnius was forcibly landed in Minsk. Belarusian political activist & founder of @NEXTA_EN was on the plane. He is arrested. Belarusian government is behind the abhorrent action. I demand to free Roman Protasevič urgently
Lithuanian FM: Disturbing news regarding @Ryanair plane from Athens to Vilnius forced landing in Minsk. Working with international partners to secure safe passage back to Vilnius for all passengers
2 week agoTsikhaunovskaya: regime forced the landing @Ryanair plane in Minsk to arrest journalist and activist Raman Pratasevich. He faces the death penalty in Belarus. We demand immediate release of Raman, @ICAO investigation, and sanctions against Belarus
Russian media report a Belarusian fighter jet was sent to escort Nexta founder's plane, on Lukshenko's orders
2 week agoBelarus media reporting that a @Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius, while over Belarus airspace was ordered to land in Minsk, where a journalist critical of the Lukashenka government was taken from the plane and detained. Some reports say a fighter jet was also used
