Red Terror in the Sky: Soviet Aerial Aggression, 1946-1986

摘要

The Soviet Union shocked and surprised the world in 1983 when they shot down a Korean Air Lines (KAL) jumbo jet and killed 269 people. Moscow's motive for this tragic destruction was based on their paranoia of the outside world penetrating their borders to spy on them. This article examines several incidents preceeding the KAL shootdown that reinforce this paranoia of the Soviets. The conclusion is clear. Moscow's policy is to force down or shoot down any aircraft violating their borders or approaching their sensitive military complexes. The KAL shootdown or any future shoot downs around the Soviet periphery or inside their borders is a predictable event, not a surprise.