A Belavia flight was unable to land in Gomel due to a drone attack
A Belavia flight traveling from Moscow to Gomel on May 17 did not land at its destination airport due to a drone attack. The plane was forced to change course and fly to an alternate airport.
According to Russian media reports, the plane was scheduled to land in Gomel at 4:20 p.m., but upon reaching Belarus, it began circling over the Mogilev region. It remained there for about 35 minutes and was eventually redirected to Minsk.
On the morning of May 18, the airline did not explain the cause of the incident.
Citing a source, the publication reported that the plane was unable to land in Gomel due to the danger posed by drones, likely Russian ones. This information was confirmed by passengers on the flight. Social media users reported that a military aircraft was flying over Gomel at that time.
This incident involving the Belavia flight occurred just as another wave of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine was beginning. The first Russian drones appeared over the Chernihiv region, which borders the Gomel region, at 3:50 p.m. on May 17.
The carrier has not yet reported how the plane’s passengers were transported from Minsk to Gomel. Passengers reported on social media that they were sent by bus after a three-hour wait.
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