- Russian President Vladimir Putin told plane was hijacked and headed for Sochi
- He ordered it shot down after reports the passenger had a bomb on board
- Security officials feared he planned to blow up the Winter Olympics opening
- Turned out to be a false alarm and the passenger was just drunk
Vladimir Putin ordered a passenger jet said to be carrying a bomb targeting the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi to be shot down.
The Russian president revealed he got a phone call from security officers responsible for the Olympics just before the opening ceremony on February 7, 2014.
‘I was told a plane en route from Ukraine to Istanbul was seized, captors demand landing in Sochi,’ he said on new Russian documentary Putin.
Vladimir Putin ordered a passenger jet said to be carrying a bomb targeting the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi to be shot down
The Russian president revealed he got a phone call from security officers responsible for the Olympics just before the opening ceremony (pictured) on February 7, 2014
The pilots of a Turkish Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737-800 flying from Kharkiv to Istanbul reported one of the passengers had a bomb and the plane had to change course to Sochi.
There were 110 passengers on board, and more than 40,000 people were gathered at the stadium to watch the opening ceremony.
Putin said he sought advice from security officers and was told the emergency plan for that type of situation called for the plane to be shot down.
‘I told them: Act according to the plan,’ he told reporter Andrey Kondrashov in an interview on the two-hour film available on Russian social media.
There were 110 passengers on board, and more than 40,000 people were gathered at the stadium to watch the opening ceremony
Pilots of a Turkish Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737-800 (stock pictured) flying from Kharkiv to Istanbul reported a passengers had a bomb and the plane had to change course to Sochi
Putin said shortly afterwards he arrived at the Olympic venue with the International Olympic Committee officials.
After several minutes Putin received another call informing him that it was a false alarm – the passenger was drunk and the plane would continue its flight to Turkey.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Sunday confirmed the comments in the film.
The release of Putin’s account of the situation comes as Russia is on a high alert ahead of the football World Cup from June 14-15, with matches across the country.