A clip of a Russian pilot's address to his passengers has gone viral on social media as the pilot, whose name is not yet known, said the war with Ukraine is a crime. "Also, from me personally," he added before he presented his opinion to his passengers.
The flight was landing in Antalya in Turkey, according to Ukrainian diplomat Olexander Scherba's translation. "Ladies and gentlemen, here is your captain speaking. Welcome to Antalya. Thank you for flying with “Pobeda”. Also, from me personally: the war with Ukraine is a crime...”. This brave pilot makes a statement.”
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“I think each sensible citizen will agree with me and will do everything to make it," the pilot also said.
{{/usCountry}}“I think each sensible citizen will agree with me and will do everything to make it," the pilot also said.
{{/usCountry}}The pilot identified himself as a staff of Pobeda, a subsidiary of Aeroflot, a Russian airline.
The video is of 33 seconds and in the first 20 seconds, the pilot speaks in Russian as his passengers clap for his brave statement. Then he switches to English and says, "Dear customers, this is your captain speaking. I’m speaking on behalf of myself and not as a representative of the airlines. I think the war in Ukraine is a crime. We should not continue this war and stop it immediately. Don’t create this bloodshed. Thank you for your time."
Apart from Ukraine's envoy to Austria, the video has been shared on Twitter by many who are closely watching the developments in the front of Russia-Ukraine and lauded the statement of the pilot, for which he may have to pay a price back home.
An aviation veteran from Russia Gennady Isaakovich Stern had earlier requested pilots working in the Russian Air Force to “stop bombing and shelling Ukrainian territory from the air".