An aviation blogger has been killed after a small aircraft was shot down in the Moscow region, reportedly after being mistaken for a Ukrainian drone.
Pavel Koshkin and his passenger, Vadim M., died when their Czech-made Alto NG plane was hit by a missile while flying near Kolomna, just over 3km from a Russian missile production facility.
The incident took place during heightened air defence activity, with Russian authorities stating that 27 drones were shot down near Moscow that night. Analysts say the aircraft appears to have been struck by a Tor surface-to-air missile system, raising concerns about the risks to civilian aviation in areas affected by military operations.
Emergency responders later recovered the wreckage of the aircraft near Kolomna. Witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing a “blue plume of smoke” in the sky at the time of the incident.
The aircraft involved was identified as a Czech-made Alto NG, a lightweight plane typically used for private and recreational flying. According to analysts examining the debris, the damage pattern suggests the aircraft was hit by missile warheads consistent with those used in Tor air defence systems.
The crash site lies close to a Russian facility that produces Iskander missiles, which have been used in the war in Ukraine. The proximity to sensitive infrastructure may have contributed to the aircraft being misidentified during a period of increased drone activity.
Another aviation blogger, Igor Volkov, said online that the pilot had followed all required procedures. “Shooted down… Pavel always flew correctly, with all the required formalities, transponder on and a flight plan filed,” said Igor Volkov, aviation blogger.
Volkov criticised the actions of the military, describing them as the result of fatigue and poor judgment during ongoing drone alerts. He wrote that the soldiers were “exhausted” and acted without sufficient verification, adding, “And now two people are gone,” Volkov added.
Photo credit: instagram/koshkinpa
