Istanbul-Moscow flight diverts to Vilnius for emergency landing

The Turkish airline flight from Istanbul to Moscow, which issued a distress signal near the Belarus-Lithuania border, made an emergency landing in Vilnius, emergency services told Interfax.  

"The aircraft made an unscheduled landing in Vilnius. No one was injured," emergency services said, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.  

Earlier reports said the captain of the Airbus A330 en route from Istanbul to Moscow requested a course change upon reaching Smolensk and headed toward the Belarus-Lithuania border. The aircraft then began fuel dumping and issued a distress signal. The captain requested an emergency landing at Vilnius Airport.

By Khagan Isayev