This tweet from Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport and Member of Parliament for Mississauga Centre in Canada, has racked up more than 1,500 replies as of this writing. Alghabra is announcing that a charter aircraft carrying Russian foreign nationals is being held at Yellowknife Airport.
A charter aircraft that carried Russian foreign nationals has been held at the Yellowknife airport. We will continue to hold Russia accountable for its invasion of Ukraine.
— Omar Alghabra (@OmarAlghabra) March 3, 2022
A quick trip over to the CBC adds some detail, saying there are only two Russian nationals, and they were en route to the Arctic for an expedition. Canada has closed its airspace to Russian pilots and the plane is grounded until Transport Canada completes its investigation.
I still can't believe this is acceptable in the 21st century.
— Superorganism (@SemanticSingle) March 3, 2022
Is there some missing context here bro? This sounds like kidnapping.
— Cernovich (@Cernovich) March 3, 2022
They are not Putin.
Many Russian citizens do not support this invasion.— George Wept (@GeorgeWept) March 3, 2022
Why would you conflate the people with the evil man heading their government?
— Sandy 〽️ (@RightGlockMom) March 3, 2022
Is it a formal highjacking? What are your demands? Please dont blow up the plane!
— Z – Z – Z (@stavkoul) March 3, 2022
Didn't have Canada going crazy on my 2022 bingo card
— Kyle (@clever_mongoose) March 3, 2022
This isn’t right
— Inquire Within 👽 (@inquireofficial) March 3, 2022
On what grounds are they being held? Are Russian nationals barred from entering the country? Or does this apply only to Russian government officials? Should Russian nationals already in Canada be worried? And in what way does this support Ukraine? Serious questions.
— Dugg Fort (@letusdestroy) March 3, 2022
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You are persecuting citizens of Russia now?
— Witness (@witness_world_) March 3, 2022
So we're doing internment camps?
— A Smith, Esquire. (@anotherSmith5) March 3, 2022
This is a dangerous course of action. If the flight is rightfully over Canadian airspace then the right thing to do, at most, is to make sure the passengers are normal civilians, and if that is the case then let them go.
— Sf4tt (@Sf4tt) March 3, 2022
Who's in the plane? Surely that should determine whether you're actually holding Russia accountable for anything, realistically.
— Leah Bernardo-Ciddio (@meddiss) March 3, 2022
Unless someone is on a list to be sanctioned, let them go home.
— Megan Corrigan (@MeganCorrigan5) March 3, 2022
So what we're all getting from this is that Canada's holding innocent civilians hostage because the acts of their government? Is that right? That's a move you've chosen? Seriously?
— 🔫 ⚙Pinko Punko🌾🛼 (@YouCaughtScott) March 3, 2022
So is this just like random people or people involved in the government?
Cause if it’s just random Russians…. maybe you should ask if you’re the baddie.
— Lauren Southern (@Lauren_Southern) March 3, 2022
This aircraft VP-CVS has Cayman Island registration, owned by Austrian company International Jet Management. Flight Originated in Geneva.
Unless the aircraft did not follow customs rules in landing at Yellowknife, there is no legal reason to hold aircraft.
— Jean-François Mezei (@jfmezei) March 3, 2022
“Release Ukraine and we’ll release the hostages…ahem…Russian nationals.” Signed with cutouts from multiple magazines
— manwithnoname (@Fractalrocked) March 3, 2022
Yeah this is an unnecessary escalation
— Dr Vibes (@MKUltraman_) March 3, 2022
https://twitter.com/wutalb/status/1499512404325158914
You guys are so brave.
— Riverboat Gambler #letsroll (@JaybirdCFC) March 3, 2022
Is Canada trying to start a war with Russia? Because holding Russian citizens hostage is really good way to do that.
— Robyn Roscoe (@robynroscoe) March 4, 2022
This is either petty harassment, or hostage taking
— Boston joe (@ramadiroach) March 3, 2022
How is that holding Russia accountable?
— ryan (@Ryface) March 3, 2022
Unless these folks are oligarchs or people with influence in Russia, this seems grossly unfair. We should expropriate the Evraz assets in Regina that belong to Russian oligarchs, not hold random russian civilians hostage.
— JDumes (@jdumes98) March 3, 2022
Are you trying to start WWIII you absolute buffoon?
— Jordan Schachtel @ dossier.substack.com (@JordanSchachtel) March 3, 2022
What crime are these individuals suspected of committing?
— Corndalorian⚡️ (@corndalorian) March 3, 2022
You don’t even say it’s a Russian aircraft. Just an aircraft that happens to have Russians on it. Wtf.
— Jonathan (@jand10667) March 4, 2022
And just like that, Canada is taking civilian Russian hostages…I don’t see how this could inflame the situation 🤷🏻♀️ pic.twitter.com/w699kVMTU5
— Terrence Maddoux (@Jrizzell) March 4, 2022
Uhhh. This tweet needs clarification
— David Ciamarro (@davidciamarro) March 3, 2022
Yeah.
Were they honking their horn?
— Chest Rockwell (@donmega72) March 3, 2022
This does seem to be a bit extreme. What are they going to do with the Russians if they decide their charter plane can’t fly?
Related:
People are standing with Ukraine by allegedly banning Russian literature, movies, and cats https://t.co/ViobIyhwzk
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 3, 2022