MOSCOW, August 17 (Itar-Tass) - Unidentified attackers late Friday evening used lasers in an attempt to blind the crews of two planes shortly after takeoff from Moscow’s Sheremetievo airport, the Interior Ministry’s office for the Central Federal District said Friday evening, adding that fortunately both incidents ended safely.
“At 23:10 on Friday the police office at Moscow’s Sheremetievo airport was told that the pilot of a passenger liner leaving Moscow for Beijing was blinded with a green laser beam from the area of the nearby town of Skhodnya, northwest of Moscow. Five minutes later a similar report came from the crew of another plane bound for Kaliningrad. In the latter case the laser was spotted somewhere near the city of Volokolamsk,” the press-service said.
Police are holding checks into both incidents.
The press-office said that three other cases of attempts at blinding plane crews occurred at Sheremetievo at the end of last week and early this week. None of the incidents cased any grave consequences.
Police recall that laser blinding attacks against plane crews approaching Moscow’s airports were frequent of late. Quite often the hooligans use powerful disco show lasers having a range of several kilometres. Some laser show fans keep such equipment at home and may use it through the window. Others plant them in the boots of their cars.