January 19, 2025

A Shortened Flight, a Shortened Sentence


A Shortened Flight, a Shortened Sentence
Unfriendly fire. Igor Dvurekov, Wikimedia Commons

A Russian air defense officer accused of accidentally shooting down a friendly helicopter will serve more than two years in a penal colony for his actions.

According to independent media outlet CurrentTime.TV, a military court found the officer, Igor Pashkov, guilty of negligence on January 15. Pashkov's actions resulted in the death of three on board the helicopter.

Reportedly, Pashkov was on duty in Russia-occupied Crimea, serving in the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and defending the area from drone attacks. At 6;30 a.m. of October 18, 2023, Pashkov was alerted to a low- and slow-flying aircraft in his sector. As he believed there were no friendly aircraft in the area, he ordered a missile launch. 

The aircraft turned out to be a Russian Mi-8M helicopter, a transport and utility aircraft also known as the Mi-17.

The charges typically hold a sentence of seven years, but certain circumstances, such as Pashkov's disabled son, remorse for his actions, and his combat experience shortened the sentence to two years and ten months.

It could be that the incident was caused by poor communication and military technology, issues that have plagued Russia since it began its invasion of Ukraine.

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