The World - News from July 6, 1989
The Soviet Union promised to pay full compensation to Belgium and to conduct an investigation into an incident in which a pilotless MIG-23 fighter jet crashed into a house in Belgium, killing one man. The pilot, on a training mission that began in Poland, ejected after his jet developed mechanical problems, the Soviets said. The jet then continued, apparently on automatic pilot, across East Germany, West Germany and the Netherlands before crashing. Soviet Defense Minister Dimitri T. Yazov told the official Soviet news agency Tass that an investigation will try to determine why Warsaw Pact forces failed to detect and shoot down the plane. In France, where he is on an official visit, Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev expressed regret over the incident.
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