Captured Russian pilot says he knew he dropped bombs on peaceful Ukrainians

A captured Russian pilot, deputy commander of Russia's 47th aviation regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Maxim Krishtop, has said he knew that he was bombing residential areas.

He said this at a press conference in Kyiv on Friday, Ukrinform reports.

Krishtop said that since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine he managed to make three flights. During the third flight on March 6, he dropped four tonnes of high-explosive bombs on residential neighborhoods before his aircraft was shot down.

"While carrying out a combat mission, I realized that the target was not the enemy's military facilities, but residential buildings and civilians, but I fulfilled a criminal order. After the bombing, I was shot down by Ukrainian air defense units. After landing I was taken prisoner by the National Guard of Ukraine," he said.