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Belarus partially closes its airspace

The restrictions relate to altitudes of 0 to 19,800 meters

MINSK, February 24. /TASS/. The Belarusian authorities have made a decision to close its airspace partially, the republic’s Defense Ministry reported on Thursday.

"For the purpose of ensuring the security of using the airspace of the Republic of Belarus, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus has made a decision on closing some airspace of the Republic of Belarus from 12:00 (coincides with Moscow time) on February 24, 2022, for flights by civil aircraft along the following boundary: the state border of the Republic of Belarus, Vysokoye, Baranovichi, Osipovichi, Krichev and farther along the southern part of the state border of the Republic of Belarus to [the settlement of] Vysokoye," the statement reads.

The restrictions relate to altitudes of 0 to 19,800 meters, it specified.

On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced recognizing the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics amid a dramatic escalation in Donbass. Russia signed agreements on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with their leaders.

The Russian leader said in a televised address on Thursday morning that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported later on Thursday that Russian troops were not delivering strikes against Ukrainian cities. It emphasized that Ukrainian military infrastructure was being destroyed by precision weapons.

Civilians are not threatened, it assured.

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