By The Moscow Times | Created at 2024-11-28 14:30:19 | Updated at 2024-11-28 16:51:56
2 hours ago
t.me/aviatorshina
Security guards at an oil refinery in the republic of Bashkortostan opened fire on a civilian airplane Wednesday night after mistaking it for a Ukrainian drone, local media reported Thursday.
The Antonov An-2, a single-engine biplane more commonly known as a “Kukuruznik,” was conducting an aerial photography mission between the regional capital Ufa and the industrial city of Salavat. Two pilots and a photographer were on board the aircraft.
Despite having prior flight clearance and operating with navigation lights, the plane came under fire while flying at an altitude of around 300 meters (980 feet) near an oil refinery in Salavat, according to the business newspaper Kommersant.
The incident triggered air raid alerts in Salavat, where emergency hotlines were flooded with calls reporting what residents believed to be an unidentified drone overhead, said Radik Muratov, head of Salavat’s Civil Services and Emergency Situations Department.
“It was actually a planned flight by an AkRusavia company aircraft, which landed safely at Ufa Airport,” Muratov was quoted as saying by the state-run Bashinform news agency. He did not comment on the reported gunfire.
The aircraft’s pilots, finding no fuel leakage, returned to Ufa after notifying flight dispatchers of the incident. The local branch of Russia’s air transportation authority Rosaviatsiya launched an investigation, according to Kommersant.
In May, the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat oil refinery was targeted in the first-ever drone attack in Bashkortostan, a region located about 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
