West waging ‘hybrid war’

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko yesterday said a journalist pulled off a plane that landed in Minsk had been plotting a bloody rebellion, and accused the West of waging a hybrid war against him. 

In his defiant remarks, his first in public since he ordered a warplane to intercept a Ryanair flight between EU members Greece and Lithuania, he showed no hint of backing down from confrontation with countries that accuse him of air piracy.

"As we predicted, our ill-wishers from outside the country and from inside the country changed their methods of attack on the state," Lukashenko, 66, told parliament. "They have crossed many red lines and have abandoned common sense and human morals."

Belarus has already been subject to EU and US sanctions since Lukashenko cracked down on pro-democracy protests after a disputed election last year. But his decision to intercept an international airliner flying through his country's air space and arrest a 26-year-old dissident journalist has brought a new level of condemnation and vows of far more serious action.

The journalist, Roman Protasevich, whose social media feed from exile had been one of the last remaining independent sources of news about Belarus, was shown on state TV on Monday confessing to organising demonstrations. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the footage "distressing" and Belarus opposition figures said it was proof he had been tortured.

Late on Tuesday, state TV broadcast a similar confession video of Sophia Sapega, a 23-year-old student arrested with Protasevich.

Europe's aviation regulator issued a bulletin yesterday urging all airlines to avoid Belarus airspace for safety reasons, saying the forced diversion of the Ryanair flight had put in question its ability to provide safe skies.

Lukashenko, in power since 1994, promised to respond harshly to any sanctions.  In his remarks to parliament, Lukashenko said street protests were no longer possible in Belarus, perhaps signalling a further crackdown on opponents.

The Kremlin yesterday said that it had no reason to mistrust the Belarusian explanation of the events.