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6 Facts About Scandal Over Belarusian “Boeing”

6 Facts About Scandal Over Belarusian “Boeing”
PHOTO: JETPHOTOS.NET

The following facts are known about the incident involving a Belavia aircraft.

1. Belavia’s press service as the only source of information

The information about the incident involving a passenger Boeing of the Belarusian airline company appeared on Friday evening, 21 October. By the end of the day Belavia’s official announcement was practically the only source of information about what happened. It was copied unchanged by the majority of Belarusian mass media, as well as major Russian newspapers and a number of Ukrainian ones, Salidarnasts writes.

2. The prolonged silence of the Ukrainian Security Service

Late on Friday the Interfax-Ukraine agency posted a comment of the Ukrainian State Air Traffic Services Enterprise (UkSATSE).

It stated that the directive on the Minsk flight returning had been given by the Ukrainian Security Service.

The USS continued to remain silent until Saturday afternoon.

3. The social networks’ response – opinions are divided

A prolonged pause by the Ukrainian secret service has provoked discussion in the Belarusian Internet. Opinions were divided: some accused the Ukrainian side of dangerously unsafe irresponsibleness, some questioned the veracity of Belavia’s version.

For example, the former deputy head of the Interior Ministry “K” Department Igor Parman wrote on Facebook that “it’s technically impossible to intercept a plane at 50 km to the border,” and that “a Zhuvlyany flight operations officer has no authority to send the aircrafts to intercept.”

4. The USS denied the version about the threat to intercept

The press secretary of the Ukrainian Security Service Elena Gitlyanskaya and Head of the USS chief of staff Alexander Tkachuk denied the information about the threat to get fighters into the air.

Gitlyanskaya said in her interview to Ukrainian media that the USS informed UkSATSE about the need to return to the airport, and UkSATSE negotiated with the pilot.

– We were not there, but the USS believes that it is absurd. Of course, no one was get into the air, it was just not possible.

The USS explained that the information about the suspicious Boeing passenger had been received when the plane was already in the air.

In turn, Belavia deputy general director Ihar Charhinets said that the threat of the Ukrainian air traffic controllers to send the fighters into the air had been recorded during the negotiations.

5. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus has responded, the Ukrainian colleagues are silent

On October 22, the Foreign Ministry of Belarus summoned Valery Dzhigun, the Charge d'Affaires of Ukraine in Belarus.

The head of the Ukrainian diplomatic mission was given a note of protest to the Ukrainian authorities over the forced return of the Belavia aircraft.

The note emphasizes that the Belarusian side expects an official apology and seeks compensation for all financial costs and expenses incurred as a result of the actions of the Ukrainian authorities

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, according to the department’s official website, stays silent.

6. The plane was landed because of a pro-Russian activist

The Belavia Boeing 737-800, carrying out flight V2-840 from Zhulyany (Kiev) to Minsk, was forced to return to the departure airport, after threats to get the fighters into the air, because of a pro-Russian Armenian journalist Armen Martirosyan, who had left Kiev to Moscow in 2014, strana.ua informed.

Armen Martirosyan is a blogger, a journalist, an Antimaydan activist and a columnist. He is an author of the Ukraina.ru Russian edition (part of the Russia Today agency, which is headed by Dmitry Kiselyov).

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