Russian pensioner fined for trying to shoot down drones with shotgun
A magistrate judge in the village of Yelan, in Russia’s Volgograd region, fined a local pensioner 40,000 rubles for trying to shoot down drones on his own. The independent Russian news outlet Verstka uncovered the court’s ruling, issued in July 2026.
In the village of Yelan, located in Russia's Volgograd region, a pensioner received a 40,000 ruble fine for attempting to shoot down drones using a single-barrel hunting shotgun. The details emerged from court documents, revealed by the independent Russian news outlet Verstka in July 2026. According to the records, the man aimed his shotgun at drones flying over his property, contacted emergency services, and promptly handed over his firearm to the police.
The police cited him for violating the Administrative Offenses Code of Russia, specifically Part 2 of Article 20.13, which prohibits firing a weapon in an unauthorized location. The court found him guilty and ordered the confiscation of his shotgun. The man claimed he discharged the weapon out of a reasonable fear for public safety, considering the drones as potential sabotage devices.
However, the appeals court found no evidence suggesting that his actions were forced or that he faced a danger that could not have been mitigated by alternative means. They deemed his behavior a "gross violation" that "could have caused harm to people's life and health."
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