Aeroflot Boeing 737 has a near-miss with Russian air defenses after being mistaken for a Ukrainian drone
July 13, 2025
An Aeroflot Boeing 737 was reportedly fired upon by a Russian Pantsir air defence system as it approached Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, according to exiled Russian journalist Alexander Nevzorov.
The commercial flight was coming in to land at Moscow on 11 July when the unconfirmed incident occurred.
Russian air defences engage a commercial flight
Reports have emerged of a Russian Pantsir air defence system opening fire on Aeroflot Flight AFL1845 after the aircraft was mistaken for a Ukrainian drone. The aircraft was an Aeroflot Boeing 737-800.
The aircraft flew from Minsk in neighbouring Russia-friendly Belarus and was approaching Moscow’s major Sheremetyevo International Airport.
While the details of the incident remain murky, Nevzorov wrote on Telegram, “The plane sustained minor damage, the crew managed to land the aircraft safely. There were no casualties among the passengers.”
Open source account Visioner reported that the Pantsir engaged the aircraft using a 30mm anti-aircraft cannon. If true, this would suggest the incident happened at close range.
The Pantsir-S1 is a short-range combined gun and missile system designed to intercept drones, missiles, and low-flying aircraft.
Aeroflot is the flag carrier of Russia and currently has a mainline fleet of around 171 aircraft, including 37 Boeing 737-800s.
Russia shot down two commercial flights during Ukraine war
If confirmed, this would not be the first time Russian air defences have engaged commercial aircraft during times of tension
On 25 December 2024, Russian forces shot down an Embraer E190 operating as Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 as it flew over the southern Russian Republic of Chechnya. Preliminary reporting by the New York Times suggested a Russian Pantsir-S1 air-defense system also hit it with a surface to air missile.
Just In : Pending any official statement from Russian side, sources say, Russian investigators suggest that a missile fired from a Pantsir-S1 air defence system shot down the Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 on December 25.
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) January 24, 2025
It's also being said Russian investigators had… pic.twitter.com/hg39tTn1ta
Of the 67 occupants onboard, 38 perished when it made a crash landing in Kazakhstan after somehow flying across the Caspian Sea. Recent evidence has leaked the name of the officer responsible for the attack.
In 2014, at the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine, Russian-backed forces used a Russian-supplied Buk air defense system to shoot down a Boeing 777-200ER. That aircraft was operating as Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 as it flew across eastern Ukraine. All 298 people on board perished.
Confirmed once again, this time by the European Court of Human Rights:
— Daan Huisinga 🇳🇱🇨🇿 (@DaanHuisinga) July 9, 2025
Russia is responsible for the downing of flight #MH17 in 2014 and for the deaths of everyone on board, including 196 Dutch nationals. pic.twitter.com/A2JBMiHXRZ
While international bodies like the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights (Europe’s top human rights court) have ruled Russia is responsible for MH17, Russia has continuously denied responsibility.
A worsening environment for Russian aviation
Ukraine is currently expanding its long-range one-way attack drones and is using them to engage targets across much of Russia. While the airspace over Ukraine has remained closed for the duration of the war, Russian airspace is only closed in areas adjacent to Ukraine.
However, as Ukrainian long-range strike capabilities improve, more and more of Russian airspace is becoming a battleground. This is leading to increasing disruptions in Russian commercial flights.
It is now common for hundreds of flights to be grounded over Russia as Ukraine brings the war to their doorstep. In July 2025, Bloomberg reported that 2,000 Russian flights had been canceled or delayed due to a wave of drone attacks.
Who is Alexander Nevzorov?
According to Ukraine-friendly Radio Free Europe, Alexander Nevzorov is one of Russia’s best-known TV journalists. He has been an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the current Russian government.
He reported on Russian build-ups to invade Ukraine as early as April 2021 and predicted Ukraine would resist and Russia would be humiliated. Russia denied it was going to invade Ukraine until it launched the invasion on 22 February 2022.
Nevzorov has since fled Russia and, along with his wife Lidia, has been labeled “extremist,” and his property in Russia has been seized.
