Russian officer Igor Pashkov, who mistakenly destroyed a Russian army Mi-8 helicopter during combat duty in occupied Crimea, was sentenced to three years in prison.
This was reported by the Russian media.
The incident occurred on December 18, 2023. While repelling a possible drone attack, Pashkov misidentified the target and mistakenly informed the command of the need to destroy it.
As a result of a shot from the Tor-M2DT anti-aircraft system, a Russian helicopter was shot down and crashed into the Black Sea. Three soldiers on board were killed.
The court found Pashkov guilty of criminal negligence and sentenced him to a prison term and fines totaling 8 million rubles: 5 million in favor of the Russian Ministry of Defense and 3 million to the widows of the deceased servicemen.
Pashkov himself pleaded guilty to the charges.