1976. The escape of the pilot Belenko

Photo: cia.gov

40 years ago, on September 6, 1976, the Soviet-class pilot-instructor of the 1st grade, senior lieutenant Viktor Belenko, escaped to Japan to the latest MiG-25P fighter at that time. He asked for political asylum in the United States, which was immediately provided to him. Belenko claimed that he was disappointed in the Soviet political system and decided to cause it maximum damage, hijacked the latest fighter abroad. The plane was disassembled, subjected to detailed study by Japanese and American specialists and returned to the USSR only on November 15.

In his homeland, Belenko was sentenced to death in absentia. Nevertheless, in 1995, he, being already a US citizen, was able to freely make a business trip to Moscow.