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The European Union is calling on all airlines based in the bloc to avoid flying over Belarusian airspace. The move is a major blow to the Belarusian regime, a day after Belarusian officials forced the diversion of an international commercial flight in order to apprehend 26-year-old opposition activist Roman Protasevich, npr.org REPORTS

The decision was announced during a summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Monday evening.