Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko offered apologies for an incident involving a Belavia passenger plane, which was returned to Kyiv under the threat of scrambling fighters, the BelTA state news agency reported referencing to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s press service.
On Nov. 10 the presidents of the two countries had a telephone conversation.
“Petro Poroshenko offered apologies for an incident involving the civil aircraft belonging to the Belavia air company and informed the Belarusian president that those guilty are punished,” the press service said.
It was reported earlier that a Belavia aircraft was forced to return to its departure airport of Zhuliany (Kyiv). It later transpired that the plane’s return had been demanded by the Ukrainian Security Service.
Ukrainian Charge d’Affaires ad interim Valery Dzhyhun was summoned to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry the next day. The Foreign Ministry’s note said that “Belarus expects official apologies and demands that all financial costs and expenses caused by Ukraine’s actions be compensated for.”
Belavia also said it was determined to demand that Ukraerorukh compensate for the losses associated with the plane’s forced landing at Zhuliany.
On November 1, the Belarusian side published a transcript of the Belavia aircraft crew’s conversations with a Ukrainian air traffic controller. The transcript indicates the pilots were warned that combat aircraft would be scrambled if they refused to return to Kyiv.
