Russian Influencer Killed After Air Defenses Mistook his Plane for Ukrainian Drone

A Russian aviation blogger was killed in a fatal air defense error after his ultralight aircraft was mistaken for a Ukrainian drone and shot down.

Pavel Koshkin and his passenger, identified as Vadim, died last Friday when their Czech-manufactured Alto NG ultralight aircraft was struck while flying near Kolomna, southeast of Moscow, independent Russian media outlet Mediazona reported.  

The crash site lies close to a facility that produces Iskander missiles, which have been widely used in the war in Ukraine, potentially contributing to the aircraft being misidentified amid increased drone activity. 

Russian authorities said that 27 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted near the capital that night. 

Analysts who examined the wreckage said the aircraft was likely hit by a Tor surface-to-air missile system. 

Emergency responders later recovered the wreckage near Kolomna, with witnesses reporting a loud explosion and a plume of smoke visible in the sky at the time of the incident. 

Officials confirmed that an aircraft had crashed, killing two people, but did not specify the cause. 

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Koshkin held a private pilot certificate and ran a YouTube channel dedicated to light aircraft flights.  

He is survived by his pregnant wife and their two-year-old child, Mediazona reported.  

‘They simply pulled the trigger’ 

Aviation blogger Igor Volkov, who lives in France, said on social media that Koshkin always followed all required procedures.  

“Pavel always flew properly, with all required formalities, with the transponder on and a filed flight plan,” he said. 

“But the stupidity and blindness of the soldiers know no bounds. Tired of drones, they simply pulled the trigger — and two people lost their lives,” he added. 

Despite the fact that the late influencer had “working cameras” on board, Volkov said it was certain that no one would ever see the recordings. 

A pattern of deadly errors 

The news has intensified concerns over so-called “friendly fire” incidents, as Moscow tries to fend off increasingly frequent Ukrainian drone attacks. Russian air defenses have repeatedly mistaken their own aircraft for enemy UAVs.  

At least 17 Russian aircraft have been lost to friendly fire since 2022, according to independent tallies by investigative Russian outlet The Insider.