A Russian pilot has gone viral after calling the war in Ukraine a “crime” during a commercial flight.
The unnamed pilot working for the Pobeda airline, a subsidiary of Russia’s Aeroflot, made a shocking personal announcement after his commercial flight to Turkey.
When the plane landed in Antalya, the captain left the cockpit and entered the passenger cabin where he picked up the loudspeaker and blasted Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Dear customers, this is your captain speaking. Just speaking on behalf of myself and not as a representative of the airline – I think the war in Ukraine is a crime,” he said.
“We should not continue this war, we must stop it immediately. Don’t support this bloodshed. Thank you for your attention.”
Following his unexpected speech, the pilot received a round of applause from the passengers.
Since then, the video showing the emotional moment has been making rounds on the internet where it has been reshared and reposted by countless journalists and even government officials in Ukraine.
“This brave Russian pilot makes a statement,” Ukrainian diplomat Olexander Scherba tweeted after the clip went viral.
The pilot’s speech comes shortly after a Russian TV editor was arrested after interrupting a state channel’s live broadcast by hoisting a sign calling for an end of the war in Ukraine.
Storming the studio and placing herself behind the Pervyi Kanal [Channel One] host, Marina Ovsyannikova wielded a sign that read: “Stop the war! Don’t believe propaganda! They’re lying to you here! Russians against war.”
Moments later, the live evening news was cut off and Ovsyannikova was arrested on suspicion of “public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in order to protect the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens, maintain international peace and security.”
While her fate remains unknown, the TV editor could potentially face treason charges.
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