Russian Pilot Calls War In Ukraine A 'Crime' Over Plane Intercom [Watch]

The pilot of a Russian airline was filmed telling passengers about his views on the country’s invasion of Ukraine over the plane’s intercom. Passengers seated in the cabin were heard applauding the pilot’s words.

The pilot denounced the attack on Ukraine as he addressed passengers and welcomed them to the city of Antalya in Turkey, according to Ukrainian diplomat Olexander Scherba. “This is your captain speaking. Welcome to Antalya [Turkey],” said the unidentified pilot in the viral clip, according to the New York Post.

“Just speaking on behalf of myself, not as a representative of the airline, I think the war with Ukraine is [a] crime. We should not continue this war, we must stop it immediately,” the Russian pilot went on to say in the video.

Scherba noted that the pilot works for Pobeda, a subsidiary of Russia's flag carrier Aeroflot. The pilot's words come at a time when Russia is censoring and clamping down on statements that contradict their narrative about the situation in Ukraine.

Pjotr Sauer, a reporter for The Guardian, also shared the video on social media and said it is “rare to see public opposition to the war given the consequences such a statement will have.”

Many commented on the video and called the man brave for his words. Some were also concerned about his safety as he voiced his opinion in a climate of uncertainty.

“With a stunt like that I'm 100% certain he had no intention of flying back to Russia. He didn't have to make the statement but he did it anyways,” one comment on Twitter said. “Gotta love that Russian flair. They sure know how to burn bridges.”

“Even if he was fleeing without intending to go back, still a brave thing to do (as I'm sure he has family back home),” another Twitter user said, as quoted by NDTV.

“Whatever your thoughts are on this situation, this pilot and others like him are putting themselves at real risk for torture and death,” read another comment. “Russia is jailing ppl who speak out, and they are known to starve people to death..."