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What 27 May 2021 showed about pressure on Minsk
Summary
A look back at a late-May 2021 stretch in which Europe moved against Belarus's airlines, while Ukraine's Eurovision entry placed fifth.
What did the days around 27 May 2021 reveal about the region's mood? Above all, they showed a Europe moving from condemnation to concrete measures after the diversion of Ryanair Flight 4978 by Belarus.
On 23 May 2021, NATO demanded an international investigation into Belarus's diversion of the Ryanair flight. The next day, 24 May 2021, the European Union banned all Belarusian airlines from using its airports and airspace in response to what it called a hijacking. It also placed sanctions on officials believed to be involved in the operation.
A lighter note from Rotterdam
Ukraine had a more celebratory moment a few days earlier. On 22 May 2021, at the 65th Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam, the band Go_A finished fifth.
A ransomware disclosure in the United States
Another story circulated in the same period. On 21 May 2021, CNA Financial, the seventh-largest commercial insurer in the United States, revealed that it had been hit by a ransomware attack in March 2021. The company said it paid $40 million to a group named Phoenix two weeks after company data was stolen, while its officials were locked out of their network.
The attackers used malware called Phoenix Locker, a variant of ransomware dubbed Hades. Cybersecurity experts said Hades was created by a Russian cybercrime syndicate known as Evil Corp. In December 2019, the US Treasury Department had announced sanctions on 17 individuals and six entities linked to Evil Corp, making it illegal for a US company to knowingly pay a ransom to that group.
Taken together, these developments from the days leading up to 27 May 2021 show the EU and NATO responding to the Ryanair diversion, Ukraine enjoying a fifth-place Eurovision finish, and a ransomware payment prompting questions about a sanctions designation.
