Valery Kostenko

Valery Kostenko was a Belarusian Air Force commander who made headlines for his controversial decision to order the shooting down of a hot air balloon carrying American pilots during the Gordon Bennett Cup race in September 1995. His actions sparked international outrage and led to a significant diplomatic incident, as the incident resulted in the tragic deaths of the pilots, Alan Frenkel and John Stewart-Jervis, raising questions about military protocols and international airspace regulations.