Russia accidentally strikes own trawler in Baltic Sea — video
A Russian warship mistakenly fired a
missile at Russian trawler Kapitan Lobanov in the Baltic Sea, killing three
crew members, independent Russian outlet TV Rain reported on March 21.
The incident itself occurred on March 19 near Russia’s Kaliningrad Oblast.
According to the family of one crew member and TV Rain’s own sources, the vessel was mistakenly hit by a missile fired by the Russian Navy during naval exercises. In addition to three fatalities, four other people on board were injured.
“Just before the incident, the trawler's crew was preparing to go to bed when a missile struck the captain's bridge," the report said.
Russian authorities claimed that there had been a fire on board and the causes were "currently unknown." They also reported only one fatality. TV Rain's sources refute the Russian government's statements.
“When the survivors were being rescued, everyone knew perfectly well that three people had died,” a source told the journalists.
“And everyone knew perfectly well that it was a missile hit. But they decided to write there was a 'fire'. It's curious what kind of fire it was when there's no trace of the captain's bridge, it was completely destroyed.”
The publication added that the injured were questioned by the FSB. Russian security forces asked the crew members to "keep quiet" about the incident.
A second missile, according to the source, fell into fishing nets near another civilian vessel, not far from Kapitan Lobanov.
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