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Ryanair flight 4978 from Athens to Vilnius was forcibly diverted to Minsk while passing through Belarus airspace on Sunday, 23 May. The flight was 72 kilometers from Vilnius (VNO) when it made a 180 degree turn before diverting to Minsk at the behest of authorities in Belarus. The aircraft was allowed to depart about 7 hours after landing. //
On 20 January 2022, the United States charged four Belarusian government officials with aircraft piracy for forcibly diverting Ryanair flight 4978. The US was able to bring the charges because four of the passengers onboard the flight were US nationals. The charging documents for the first time lay out US version of how the flight was diverted. Those charged are either employees of the state air navigation service provider or state security services. //
