A blogger has airlifted and dropped a Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV from a helicopter in northern Russia for reasons that remain unclear.
Footage showed the Mercedes Geländewagen falling onto the frozen taiga and turning into a flat pile of metal in northwestern Russia’s republic of Karelia. The region’s transport police said they were investigating whether any laws were broken in the stunt.
The vehicle’s owner paid a local airport $4,000 to drop it from a height of 300 meters, the Karelia-based news website onego.ru reported Thursday. Airport officials said what remained of the SUV was taken to a scrapyard.
Citing unnamed sources, the news site said that the drop was the result of a bet.
The blogger’s own account, however, suggests that he had paid for the helicopter to airlift and unhook the Geländewagen from up high as a publicity stunt.
“You’ll probably ask me why I’m doing this,” blogger Igor Moroz, whose previous posts includes prank videos, told his viewers.
“This was my dream [car], which I saved up for and bought two years ago,” Moroz said in the YouTube video after the drop.
“I grew disappointed in it and now you see what it’s turned into... I was completely fed up," he said.
The blogger did lend credence to initial reports of a bet, saying as the helicopter took off: “I won the bet, time to lift the Gelik [Geländewagen].”
Standing over the flattened scrap metal afterward, Moroz announced he would give away five cars in a contest for his 2.8 million Instagram subscribers.
Over half a million people have watched the video since it was posted Thursday.
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.
