Russian millionaire politician shot and killed a man he says he mistook for a bear

(CNN) – A Russian millionaire and politician has confessed to shooting a man he claims to have mistaken for a bear.

Igor Redkin received a two-month house arrest sentence as a provisional restraining measure for accidentally shooting the man outside a garbage dump near the village of Ozernovsky in the Ust-Bolsheretsky district, according to the state news agency RIA.

The shooting itself took place on August 2, and the man later died in hospital.

Redki is a member of the ruling United Russia politician, of which President Vladimir Putin is the de facto leader.

The wealthy politician took four days to confess to the crime, after the regional executive director of the Investigation Committee denounced it on August 6.

On August 10, Redkin told authorities that he was shooting at the garbage dump in an attempt to scare a bear but he did shoot a man.

The shooting was one of two disastrous Redkin-related incidents that took place in recent days.

On Thursday, a helicopter owned by his private company crashed into a lake on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the far eastern part of Russia. At least eight passengers are suspected of being dead, reports RIA.

Redkin is one of the richest MPs in Kamchatka and owns a fleet of helicopters operated through the Vityaz-Aero company.

The press service of the Emergency Ministry (EMERCOM) in Kamchatka told state news agency TASS on Thursday that “at 00:50 am Moscow time on August 12, 2021, information was received about a helicopter forced landing Mi-8 of the Vityaz -Aviation Company in the Kuril Lake area of ​​the Kronotsky Reserve ”.

The Russian Defense Ministry quickly dispatched a Mi-8 helicopter, along with three underwater vehicles, to the site, according to RIA.

Eight people were saved, RIA said, citing the Defense Ministry. The remaining eight passengers are feared dead.

The news has dealt another blow to Redkin, who in addition to being charged under the “murder” law, was expelled from the United Russia party that supports Russian President Putin.

The undersecretary of the general council of the party, the deputy of the State Duma, Yevgeny Revenko, told RIA that, despite being a case of “negligent murder”, the party has a policy of suspending the membership of any member of the party. party involved in a criminal case.

Redkin will remain under house arrest until October 6.