"I feel sorry for the people, of course, but our air defense service acted correctly."
This is how, according to the memoirs of one Soviet party leader, then General Secretary Yuri Andropov reacted to the news that Soviet air defense forces shot down a South Korean passenger Boeing over Sakhalin.
The man-made disaster, which killed all 269 people on board, is the 15th-deadliest aviation disaster in history.
The stages of the tragedy that occurred 43 years ago have been reconstructed.
1. On the night of September 1, 1983, a Boeing 747 operated by Korean Air, flight KAL 007, from New York to Anchorage and into Seoul. There were 269 people on board: 246 passengers and 23 crew members.
After departing Anchorage, the plane was scheduled to cross the Pacific Ocean along an international route that passed well east of the Soviet border. However, shortly after takeoff, the Boeing deviated from its intended route for an unknown reason. As a result, it ended up over Kamchatka, and then Sakhalin.
2. 1983 was one of the most tense periods of the Cold War: relations between the USSR and the United States deteriorated sharply, and the Soviet leadership was seriously concerned about a possible American attack. Kamchatka and Sakhalin were of enormous military importance, housing strategic force bases and air defense facilities.
3. Immediately before KAL 007's appearance, an American RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft was in the vicinity. Therefore, Soviet air defenses initially viewed the unidentified target as a potential threat. Furthermore, the areas over which KAL 007 was flying contained military installations, and foreign aircraft were prohibited from flying in the area.
4. The Su-15 interceptor caught up with the intruder and followed it for some time. The pilot attempted to identify the aircraft and signaled it, firing several warning bursts from his cannon. However, the Boeing's crew apparently didn't understand what was happening and ignored the request to change course.
5. After the plane continued flying over Soviet territory, General Anatoly Kornukov, then commanding the Sakhalin air defense unit, gave the order to "destroy the target." Su-15 pilot Gennady Osipovich complied, firing two missiles at the Boeing.
The damaged plane continued to fly for several minutes before crashing into the sea west of Sakhalin Island. All on board were killed.
6. The Soviet authorities initially denied involvement in the destruction of the passenger plane, then admitted the fact of the interception and shooting, but accused the United States and South Korea of provocation, claiming that the Boeing was carrying out a reconnaissance mission or acting in the interests of American intelligence.
7. US President Ronald Reagan called the disaster "a crime against humanity that must never be forgotten" and "an act of barbarity and inhuman cruelty." Thousands of people protested the USSR's actions in Seoul, and Soviet flags were burned.
It was only in December 1990, during the visit of the President of the Republic of Korea Roh Tae-woo to Moscow, that the President of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev offered an official apology to the Korean side.
8. The disaster prompted the leadership of various countries to strengthen the coordination of air traffic control services, reducing the risk of tragedies resulting from accidental border crossings. Regulations for the interception of civilian aircraft were tightened, prohibiting the use of weapons without clear identification and exhaustive attempts to land the intruder. Another long-term consequence of the tragedy was the US decision to open the GPS system to civilian use.
