Search parties on nine helicopters and 19 snowmobiles scoured the Moscow region Monday for a Robinson R44 chopper believed to have been carrying the son of a State Duma deputy. The helicopter disappeared over the weekend.
Vasily Petrov, son of Yury Petrov, a United Russia deputy and former head of the Federal Property Management Agency, was heading from the Tver region to suburban Moscow aboard a private helicopter reportedly piloted by controversial businessman Fyodor Tsarev.
Tsarev was convicted of car theft and later dubbed the "peat tsar" for leveling forestland to dig up peat and sand, Moskovsky Komsomolets reported.
The flight, reportedly carrying a third man, was unregistered, the newspaper said. The last cell-phone signal from the pilot was recorded in the Moscow region's Solnechnogorsky district, where rescue efforts were under way.
(MT)
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
