A Ryanair flight traveling from Athens to Vilnius was intercepted by a Belarusian MiG-29 warplane in 2021, resulting in an emergency landing in Minsk. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that the emergency landing was due to a false bomb threat and led to the arrest of two individuals who were initially thought to be Lukashenko’s opponents, but it was later revealed that one of them was a Russian spy.
The detained individuals were prominent Russian dissident Roman Protasevich, then 26 years old, and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega, a Russian citizen. Lukashenko alleged that Protasevich was actually a Russian intelligence officer posing as an opposition leader running an anti-Lukashenko Telegram channel.
Following the incident, Protasevich and Sapega were removed from the plane, allowing it to continue its journey to Vilnius. Protasevich was subsequently charged with organizing mass unrest and extremist activities, resulting in an eight-year prison sentence. However, he was later pardoned by Lukashenko, indicating a possible collaboration between Protasevich and Belarusian authorities.
Sapega, on the other hand, faced charges of inciting social hatred and illegally collecting and disseminating personal information. She was sentenced to eight years in jail but was later pardoned and returned to Russia. Lukashenko’s actions in forcing the Ryanair jet to land led to significant sanctions on Belarus, impacting the country’s economy.
Protasevich confirmed his role as an intelligence officer, acknowledging Lukashenko’s claim. The incident was widely criticized as a state-sponsored hijacking, with Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary describing it as a situation where the pilot was pressured to divert the flight to Minsk. The Belarusian state security service, known as KGB, was involved in the incident.