Ukrainian drones regularly attack Russia, and the air defense system is nervous. According to a report, this was fatal for an amateur pilot and his passenger.
03/26/2026, 04:3603/26/2026, 04:36
Martin Küper / t-online
A Russian amateur pilot and his passenger have become victims of Russian anti-aircraft defense, according to a report. Pavel Koschkin and his passenger were in the air southeast of Moscow on Friday in a single-engine plane when they were allegedly hit by a missile from a Russian anti-aircraft system, as the independent Russian portal “Mediazona” reports.
The 39-year-old pilot Pawel Koschkin leaves behind a pregnant wife and a two-year-old child.Image: Instagram
Accordingly, their flight route took the two over a production site for Iskander missiles, with which Russia repeatedly attacks Ukraine. The weapons factory is therefore also in the sights of the Ukrainian armed forces. The night before the incident, the facility was said to have been attacked by Ukrainian drones. Some Ukrainian drones closely resemble small aircraft. The Russian anti-aircraft soldiers could have mistaken Koschkin’s plane for an enemy drone.
“The stupidity of soldiers knows no bounds”
Koschkin was no stranger to amateur pilots. The 39-year-old ran channels on YouTube and Instagram and reported on his passion for aviation in many videos. According to the report, Koschkin leaves behind his pregnant wife and a two-year-old child.
The Russian authorities have so far only confirmed that there was a plane crash with two deaths. There is no official information about the identity of the victims or the cause of the accident. Air traffic blogger Igor Volkov, who lives in France, told Polish broadcaster TVP that Koschkin always followed all flight rules. “The soldiers’ stupidity knows no bounds,” TVP quotes Volkov.
“Tired of drones, they just pull the trigger and now two people are dead.”
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