Forced landing of Ryanair flight in Minsk

NEXTA founder/editor Roman Protasevich was arrested in Belarus after Ryanair plane Athens-Vilnius landed in Minsk after the captain was informed of a fake bomb threat issued in the name of Hamas. (RFE/RL version here). This seem to follow footsteps of Ukraine forcing return of Belavia plane on Oct. 22, 2016, to detain anti-Maidan blogger, citizen of Armenia (later released). It is also suggested (see eg here) that Russian PMC arrests in Belarus were originally planned in the form of forcing their flight from Minsk to land in Ukraine (this version was reported by Butusov of tsensor.net).

Allegations

• My plan for Belarus - Rod Liddle, The Spectator, May 29 2021 issue

  A MiG fighter from Belarus intercepted a civilian Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius and threatened to shoot it down unless it diverted to Minsk airport. The MiG pilot informed the Ryanair pilot that he had been given permission to open fire, i.e. this was not a rogue act but one sanctioned by the Belarus President, Alexander Lukashenko. After the plane landed in Minsk, Belarus thugs boarded it and dragged off the young journalist Roman Protasevich, who apparently informed a fellow passenger that he expected to receive the death penalty.

People

Roman Protasevich

Roman Protasevich while serving with the Azov Battalion

Roman Protasevich at the airport bus at Minsk airport. The photo was taken by an unknown person at 12:28 GMT, only 7 minutes before it was tweeted Franak Viačorka. This is the incident that was described by Protasevich and was first thought to have happened Athens.

• Fraternal war. What is the Belarusian volunteer fighting for in Donbass - Focus, June 16, 2015
• Chase fighter: In case of invasion we will be the first to rush to defend Belarus - Radio Svaboda, September 18, 2015 (archive, mirror)
• "I'm not comfortable with the frames where people with holes in their bodies." Interview with the editor-in-chief of Nexta, the largest protest channel in Belarus - BBC-Russian, August 12 , 2020
• NEXTA - the main media of the Belarusian protest (English subs) vDud' (Yurii Dud'), September 18, 2020 (important, detailed, long, interviewer is a popular blogger/youtuber, featured on Echo of Moscow; interview location is Belarus House in Warsaw).

  DogyDoge. Timecodes with Protasevich: 26:36, 36:28, 44:51,1:00:56, 1:09:52,1:29:35

• Roman Protasevich - FOIA Research, August 17, 2020, updated: May 24, 2021
• The NEXTA administrator fought in the Donbass in the ranks of the Azov Battalion in 2014 - NewsFront, September 20, 2021
• Franak Viačorka @franakviacorka on Twitter, May 23, 2021 (12:35 GMT)

  BREAKING! The regime landed @Ryanair plane, which was flying from Athens to Vilnius, in order to arrest the famous Belarusian journalist Roman Protasevich. In Belarus, he faces the death penalty. Belarus has seized a plane, put passengers in danger, in order to repress an opponent

  It is claimed that Roman was waiting for re-boarding with other passengers and this post and photo alerted Belarus authorities (uncertain/unknown whether it's true)

• Waiting for Protasevich's testimony- Colonel Cassad, May 24, 2021
• ‘Hijacked’ Belarus activist Roman Protasevich lived in fear of arrest for two years - The Times, May 24 2021 (archive)
• Shkvarka News belshkvarka, Telegram, May 25, 2021

  Here one pizdabol declares that "apparently Roman was beaten." We, in turn, would like to note that, apparently, Roman began to be beaten while working for stsepan (Stepan Putilo ?) and continued in the editorial office of the BGM (Belarus Golovnogo Mozga). Or Roman just has acne and skin problems, but that doesn't sound so hype.

  (treatment still of concern, as for any detainee).

• Doxxing Protasevich - Colonel Cassad, May 26, 2021
• Roman Protasevich - Arrested In Belarus - Is A Western Government Financed Neo-Nazi - Moon of Alabama, May 26, 2021
• No, Belarusian dissident Protasevich is not a neo-Nazi. But the Kremlin sure wants you to think so - Euromaidan Press, May 26, 2021
• Protasevich giving testimony on sponsors of subversive activity in Belarus, says KGB chief - TASS, May 26, 2021
• Roman Protasevich's father: former Nexta editor-in-chief transferred to the KGB pre-trial detention center (where his girl Sapega is also held) -BBC, May 29, 2021

  The Protasevich family learned that their son was in the Minsk KGB pre-trial detention center on Friday (May 28), when Roman’s sister managed to pass to him a parcel.

• "Lukashenko invited LPR law enforcement officers to visit Protasevich (+ VIDEO)"- Rusvesna, June 1, 2021
• Flight Athens - Vilnius. Debriefing: watch the special investigation on the air of ONT on June 2 at 21:00 - ONT, June 1, 2021

  Protasevich, end of video: ...(inaudible)...I was set up...because, I never said this, and as soon as I said it, I found myself in Minsk. At once!

• ONT TV, June 2, 2021

  14: 30 Protasevich arrives on airport bus to the airport (stated by presenter, shown on the video with a timer); Franak Viačorka email, 14: 35. 14: 53: Protasevich passes airport control/customs, passing officers doing some checks and heading to another hall, like to arrival area after border control (the time is stated by presenter, and shown on the video with a timer).

  Protasevich asked Sapega to pass on some information, but did not talk to her later, so that she could be OK even if he is not. He does not know who took the photo in Viačorka email

  Protasevich: I had a personal conflict with only one man (among the opposition), and in recent days it was quite tense. There were no big conflicts, except that at our first joint drinking party he said that we both have strong leadership qualities and the conflict , sooner or later, is unavoidable. But he is not sure whether the events have to do with the conflict, but will tell in more detail. For the first time he ever said where and to he is going, which plane, was in the work chat 40 minutes before departure, where that person was also present. That person apparently is not Putilo and not Viačorka (see also talk). Relations with Viačorka used to be quite good, but there was a sudden change in the last week.

  (In Markov interview, named as Danil Bogdanovich, director of infopoint network).

  AST appears to do with camera time zone not set, only the local time is. (14:00 AST = 21:00 in Minsk, GMT+3 ; 14:00 ADT (daylight version of AST) = 20:00 in Minsk)

• "I was just set up." What Protasevich told the Belarusian special services. ONT investigation film - ONT, June 3, 2021
• Protasevich unconditionally respects Lukashenka - Colonel Cassad, June 3, 2021 (Protasevich interviewed)
• Markov. Nothing personal on ONT, parts 1, 2, 3 live, transcript, Rus.

  Confirms funding (state, private, grants, etc), professional support, security arranged for the leaders. Was kept away from funding, worked on a salary.

  He was against street protests at current stage; thought that some criticism of opposition leaders is needed; missed some "stupid deadline" recently. With this, an some hints, felt that he may be fired from his position. States that he considered returning to Belarus himself.

  Was present at meetings of conspirators allegedly plotting against Lukashenko; a black square at those zoom recordings is himself; says that his role was an intermediary between the conspirators and Tikhanovskaya. Knew Dmirtii Shegelskii for many years (met him in 2015 in Dnepropetrovsk; he was "chief psychiatrist of ATO" and main brainpower of the conspiracy; also knew Zenkovich)

  Markov actual interview lasted over 4 hours; only part of it was shown. At the end, Protasevich was breaking down and sorry.

• Soloviev: Protasevich realized that being inside this tangle of snakes is much more dangerous than being in a Belarusian jail - ONT, June 3, 2021
• Jailed Belarusian Pratasevich Dogged By Claims He Fought For Azov Battalion In Ukraine - RFE/RL, June 9, 2021
• Protasevich transferred to house arrest - Cassad, June 25, 2021

  photos of Protasevich with Sapega in a park

• Exclusive interview with R. Protasevich to Vakaro žinios: Lithuania is pushing Belarus into the arms of Russia, July 22, 2021 , via Cassad
• Protasevich received 8 years in prison - Colonel Cassad, May 3, 2023
• Russian telegram channels allege that Protasevich ratted on his girlfriend Sapega (no official/independent verification), May 24, 2023
• Closing The Case Of Regime Changer Roman Protasevich And His Ryanair Flight To Minsk - Moon of Alabama, May 26, 2023

Sophia Sapega

• Zheltye Slivy, Telegram, May 25, 2021

  Russian citizen, lives in Vilnius. Statement made in detention asserts: "I am the editor of the telegram channel "Black Book of Belarus", which publishes personal information about employees of the ministry of internal affairs.

  She was detained and can be held for 72 hours by law, then charged or released. It is said that she is arrested for 2 months

• EHU demands immediate release of student Sofia Sapega - European Humanities University, May 24, 2021

  She is studying at the International Law and European Union Law program.

  Docent Duda A.S. is not listed among program's faculty.

• What did Sofia Sapega do - Colonel Cassad, May 25, 2021
• Sapega faces 12 years in prison - Colonel Cassad, May 26, 2021
• Belarus - Protasevich's girlfriend published personal information of police officers and their families on Telegram - Christelle Néant, Donbass Insider, May 31, 2021

Intelligence operatives

• No KGB agents checked out in Minsk.

Man at Athens airport

• Protasevich case: In the hands of the EYP the material from the security cameras of the airport - Indicator.gr, May 26, 2021

Protonmail

A fake screenshot of the hoax bomb threat from fake Hamas. (Source: Mikhail Khodorkovsky). Russian вс (воскресенье --Sunday) in the date, but English To in the address

• Russia's FSB blocks another anonymous email service used for fake bomb threats - TASS, January 29, 2021
• Belarus has published a transcript of the dispatcher’s negotiations with the Ryanair pilot - Eurnews, May 25, 2021

  The Department said that on May 23, the Minsk airport received a letter from the addressee ahmed_yurlanov1988@protonmail.com about the threat of a terrorist attack over Vilnius.

• Inconsistencies in the "terrorist" version of the Belarusian authorities - Dossier Center, May 27, 2021

  On May 23, at 12:25 pm Belarusian time, the administration of "Lithuanian Airports" received a letter with the threat of a bomb explosion on board the flight FR4978 by e-mail, sent from the address ahmed_yurlanov1988@protonmail.com.

• Proton Mail on Twitter, May 27, 2021 (later)

  The email leaked to the press was not obtained from us. Due to our encryption, we can't access/verify the message contents. However, we can see the sent time and can confirm it was after the plane was redirected.

  The email leaked to the press was not obtained from us. Due to our encryption, we can't access/verify the message contents. However, we can see the sent time and can confirm existing press reports are accurate.

• Belarus urged a Ryanair jet to land - even before the alleged bomb threat was received - Der Spiegel, May 27, 2021

  According to information from the area around Vilnius Airport, an e-mail with the same content was received from the same account at the airport in the Lithuanian capital at 12.25 p.m., shortly before the aircraft reached Belarusian airspace.

• Media: Flight controllers informed Ryanair pilots about the mining 27 minutes before the bomb was reported -Salidarnost (gazetaby.com), May 27, 2021

  Belarusian air traffic controllers informed Ryanair pilots that the plane had been mined half an hour before they themselves received a message about the bomb. This is the conclusion reached by the specialists of the Dossier Center of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, together with The Daily Beast and Der Spiegel ...(Vilnius email, see above, is eventually mentioned, but way later)

• Every year: Der Spiegel, Khodorkovsky and fake emails - Anti-Spiegel, May 27, 2021

  The fact that Vilnius received the mail at exactly the same time as Minsk reported, shows that we are dealing with a mail manipulated by Khodorkovsky with a probability bordering on certainty.

• Bomb threat cited by Belarus was sent after plane was diverted - Swiss email provider - Reuters, May 27, 2021 - Fake news
• How ProtonMail Lost The Public Trust It Needs To Do Business - Moon of Alabama, May 29, 2021

Bomb threat

• Ryanair’s statement - Ryanair Press Office on Twitter, May 23, 2021
• RyanAir Emergency Landing Incident - caa.gov.by (includes transcript)
• Ryanair's emergency landing in Minsk. Nexta founder Roman Protasevich arrested - ONT TV, May 23, 2021
• Fighter jet scrambled to escort Ryanair plane - Belarusian defense ministry - TASS, May 23, 2021
• Belarus points to Hamas bomb threat in plane diversion, Hamas rejects claim - Reuters, May 24, 2021 (archive)
• A recording of negotiations with the plane on which the detained founder of NEXTA Protasevich was flying - RBK, May 24, 2021
• Content of Ryanair aircraft bomb message revealed - belta.by, May 24, 2021
• It is inappropriate to say that the MiG-29 crew on duty interrupted the Ryanair flight - Golub - belta.by, May 24, 2021

  MayDay 12:47, fighter plane took of 13:04 , plane at the time was near Stolbtsy, en route to Minsk

• Kotsnews, Telegram, May 24, 2021

  Passengers missing from the Ryanair flight are found, who have already been called agents of the KGB (well, or the FSB). Two Belarusians and a Greek.

• Protasevich’s girlfriend only Russian on board Ryanair flight forced to land in Minsk, rubbishing claims security agents involved - RT, May 25, 2021
• ONT News, Telegram, May 26, 2021

  The opposition knew about the provocation in the skies of Belarus two weeks before the event. And the exact date was named! (25 May was named in "Belsat" talk show by Vladimir Nekliaev answering question when the regime will collapse ; Council of Europe meeting was on May 24-25, with sanctions announced on the 24th; plane landed on May 23).

Suspects

• Protasevich named the name of the person who "passed" him - Anna Pavloava, Vesti.ua, June 3, 2021

Ryanair plane

• Lithuanian police question pilot who diverted to Minsk ‘after consulting Ryanair’ - LRT English, May 24, 2021
• Poland insists on access to black boxes of Ryanair plane forcibly landed in Belarus - rua.gr, May 25, 2021

Official comments

• Lukashenko comments on Athens-Vilnius flight incident - Belta, May 26, 2021
• What Lukashenko said about the Ryanair incident - First Pool, Telegram, May 26, 2021

  The message about the bombing of the aircraft came from Switzerland , received by airports in Minsk, Athens, and Vilnus.

• Belarus Sends Notes of Protest to 6 UNSC States, Belgium, Germany Over Statement on Ryanair Incident - Sputnik, May 27, 2021
• Lukashenko describes Ryanair aircraft incident as premeditated provocation - Belta, July 21, 2021

Doubts/Denials

• This is false information: three countries responded to Lukashenko's accusations - Rusvesna, May 27, 2021

  Claim: Poland and Ukraine denied receiving request to land; Greece denied receiving bomb warning

  Greece authorities actually say that checks were made on boarding and no dangers were found, and that no threats were received while the plane was in Greek FIR (flight information region)

Precedents

• Ryanair flight hit with bomb hoax BEFORE taking off in Lithuania but was cleared to fly – until hitting UK airspace where RAF scrambled to intercept it - The Sun, October 4, 2017
• Two men are arrested over Ryanair 'bomb scare' that forced Krakow to Dublin flight to make emergency landing at Stansted after crew found note in loo claiming explosives were on board - Daily Mail, July 14, 2020
• Flight Aborted After Eerie Pictures Mysteriously Sent To Passengers' Phones - Unilad, May 10, 2022

Sanctions

• Belarus faces sanctions backlash over jetliner ‘state piracy’ - Reuters, May 24, 2021
• EU Moves to Bar Belarusian Aircraft From Entering Bloc’s Airspace Over Ryanair Landing - Sputnik, May 24, 2021
• FM: No country has requested information about the Ryanair incident from Belarus so far - Belta, May 24, 2021

ICAO investigation

• ICAO agrees with Minsk on the Ryanair plane incident — Ministry of Transport - TASS, January 19, 2022
• ICAO Report - Ryanair Plane That Landed in Minsk Was NOT Forced Down - Moon of Alabama, January 27, 2022
• Bomb threat on diverted Ryanair flight 'deliberately false' - UN - RTE, January 28, 2022

Analysis

• May 24, 2021 Lukashenko's Revenge (Served Cold) - Moon of Alabama, May 24, 2021
• As Anger Toward Belarus Mounts, Recall the 2013 Forced Landing of Bolivia's Plane to Find Snowden - Glenn Greenwald, May 24, 2021
• Alternative Version Of Who May Be Behind The Minsk Special Operation - SouthFront, May 24, 2021 (mirror)
• Belarus ‘hijacking’ is test for international community - Luke Harding, The Guardian, May 24, 2021
• Western Outrage Over Belarus Force Landing Plane… How Dare You Copy Us! - Finian Cunningham, Strategic Culture, May 24, 2021
• Diversion of a Ryanair flight and arrest of Protasevich - What if Belarus had fallen into a trap set by Ukraine? - Christelle Néant, Donbass Insider, May 26, 2021
• Lukashenko, Protasevich and the West - who fell into whose trap? - Anti-Spiegel, May 25, 2021
• Lukashenko accuses the West of staging the incident around the Ryanair landing - Anti-Spiegel, May 26, 2021
• By The Book - What Really Happened With The Ryanair Flight In Belarus - Moon of Alabama, May 26, 2021
• The Company They Keep - Stephen Karganovic, Strategic Culture, May 27, 2021
• The West must ask forgiveness from Belarus! - Peter Haisenko, KenFM, May 27, 2021
• Expert on Ryanair, the mayor of Riga, Protasevich, sanctions against Belarus and Russia, politics - interview with Gleb Lavrov, ONT TV (video, in Rus.), May 27, 2021

  one of the points, color revolution methods are no longer effective, and new info-warfare methods are tried. Society is getting split into echo-chambers with their own cultural references, to such a degree that they are unable to communicate with each other; intermediaries do not follow those cultures and cannot reach either of the groups. To stimulate events, radical measures are used ("sacral victims", Maidans, etc).

• Protasevich was likely framed by his own side and handed over to Belarus to serve as a sacrificial victim - Christelle Néant, Donbass Insider, June 5, 2021