In the occupied Crimea, an air defense officer who shot down a helicopter instead of a drone was convicted – mass media

The Russian-controlled military court in Sevastopol sentenced air defense officer Igor Pashkov, who mistakenly shot down a Russian army helicopter in 2023, to two years and ten months in a colony-settlement, reports the Russian publication Kommersant. As a result, three people on board died. Pashkov was found guilty of criminal negligence.

As Kommersant reports, on December 18, 2023, Pashkov was on combat duty in the occupied Crimea. He received a report “on the detection of a low-speed air target.” There was confusion during the transmission of the message, and the clarification that it was a helicopter was transmitted too late. Having decided that the target was a drone, Pashkov launched a missile salvo from the TOR-M2DT anti-aircraft missile system. The downed Mi-8 helicopter fell into the Black Sea, the crew died.

Investigative authorities have opened a criminal case under the article on violation of the rules of being on combat duty, which caused serious consequences. According to the mass media, the case was investigated with respect to unidentified persons, and last year in May, Pashkov issued an appearance with a confession. The investigation accused him of negligence.

The prosecution demanded seven years of imprisonment for Pashkov, but the court of first instance limited it to three, and the district court reduced this term by two months. In addition, Pashkov will be deprived of the right to hold positions related to the implementation of organizational and administrative functions in the civil service and local self-government bodies for one year.