The plane's pilot, Ukrainian national Alexander Akopov, made the decision to turn the plane around and return to Istanbul for a blind landing. Video of the veteran pilot's feat soon surfaced and went viral, showing the plane's daring descent to the airport, where it made a safe, smooth landing, saving the lives of all 121 passengers and six crew members onboard.
Akopov's heroism was met with praise from around the world, with Ukrainian officials using every opportunity to publicize his feat. President Petro Poroshenko called him up to congratulate him, and awarded him the Order for Courage on Sunday.
In #Istanbul a #Ukrainian pilot landed a #Turkish #plane w/ 121 passengers on board - heavily damaged by hail storm & with zero visibility. pic.twitter.com/AL5RMf5iR1
— olexander scherba (@olex_scherba) 28 июля 2017 г.
The praise from Ukrainian authorities was short lived however, after it was discovered that Akopov had sympathies for Russia. A collage profile photo on his Facebook page featuring him and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov caused particular fury and outrage among Ukrainian nationalist Facebook users.
One user in particular, who described himself as a defender of human rights, wrote that seeing the image "completely changed" his attitude toward the hero.
Others were angered by the fact that Akopov is a long-time resident of Donetsk, that many of his Facebook friends were from the city, and that there was not a "single trace of a Ukrainian flag" anywhere on his page. Some users even accused him of being a 'separ', derogatory slang for 'separatist'.
Amid the harassment on social media, Akopov admitted to Ukrainian media that he has sympathies for Russia, saying in particular that he loves Russian hockey, but added that he lives in Ukraine, and that he doesn't appreciate being accused of separatism.
As for the profile photo collage with him and the Russian foreign minister, the veteran pilot explained that he created it because the two men look similar, and have similar facial features. Akopov added that he wouldn't be bullied into changing it for the sake of someone's "mercantile interests."
Asked his thoughts about the conflict in the Donbass region, Akopov said that "there isn't even anything to say. I am very concerned about it, to the point where it is hard to breathe. [Donetsk had] the best airport, the best soccer team. Imagine what it's like to lose all of this? In short, war is war."
The Russian Foreign Ministry invited Akopov to come to Russia if the absurd witchhunt against him continues in his home country.
"Alexander, your feat was outside politics. Thank you for your professionalism! If you continue to face criticism at home, come to Russia – would will always be welcome!" the Ministry said on its Facebook page. Russian officials added that if Akopov wanted to obtain Russian citizenship, he could do so under a simplified procedure.
Last week's incident was not the first mid-air emergency where Akopov showed courage under pressure. In 2000, the pilot successfully landed a Yak-42 passenger plane on route from Vienna in Lviv, western Ukraine after one of its engines caught fire, saving everyone onboard.
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