Two German nationals were detained on Thursday evening for launching a drone over the Kremlin, the Interfax news agency reported Friday, citing unidentified sources in the law-enforcement authorities.
The pair planned to post a video of the Kremlin recorded by the drone in their blog, the report said. They were arrested near the Kremlin's Vodovzvodnaya Tower. Administrative charges were brought against one for violating air space regulations.
Drones have recently been involved in a series of incidents in Russia. In late July employees of a prison hospital in the northern Republic of Komi detained a man trying to launch a radio-controlled drone from an adjacent restricted territory into the hospital.
The drone was intended to carry a cargo of banned goods, including four cell phones, chargers and a battery, three packs of cards, and four packets of yeast – used by inmates to ferment alcoholic drinks.
The incident followed a similar case reported in the Magadan region of Russia's Far East a day earlier, when guards seized a drone that crashed inside a prison colony with a cargo of cell phones, according to the Federal Penitentiary Service.
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.
