As the Cheka-OGPU learned, the court convicted military pilots N…

As the Cheka-OGPU learned, the court convicted military pilots Nikolai Borodov and Dmitry Isaenko, who, during a flight on a Russian Guard Mi-8 helicopter from Rostov-on-Don to Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Rostov region, cut off a power line, which led to the death of a motorist. The incident occurred on September 10, 2022. During the flight, crew commander Borodov handed over control to pilot-navigator Isaev, who began to gradually reduce the flight altitude, choosing an area with the least turbulence. The flight altitude at a speed of 234 km/h eventually became from 5.6 to 12.1 m.

When crossing the M4 Don federal highway, the upper part of the fuselage of the Mi-8 collided with power line wires, which led to their breakage and the tearing off of a fragment of the insulator. The helicopter dragged the wires with the insulator behind it, and it eventually fell onto a Volkswagen Touran, breaking through the windshield on the driver’s side. The debris hit the driver’s head, causing him to die at the scene. The Mi-8 also suffered mechanical damage to its engines and hull.

Initially, the investigation petitioned to terminate the criminal case against the pilots and apply a court fine to them, but the court decided otherwise. The defendants admitted guilt, sincerely repented and paid damages. The court also took into account “post-criminal behavior” when sentencing [пилотов] after committing a crime, expressed in participation in a special military operation, and their expressed desire to take part in the operation in the future.” As a result, each of the pilots received a 2-year suspended sentence with a probationary period of one and a half years.