Stalk of KAL 007

Shot down by the Soviets on Sept.1, 1983 just west of Sakhalin Island east of the Tatar Straits, Boeing 747 Korean Air Lines Flight 007, carrying 269 passengers and crew, had just crossed over the Kamchatka Peninsula, in its errant flight, and now had entered international airspace over the Sea of Okhutsk. A Soviet Su-15 interceptor, sent up from Dolinsk-Sokol airbase on Sakhalin had swung around KAL 007 and was now trailing behind and then at 18:11 GMT (6:11 AM local time) Maj. Gennadie Osipovich, the interceptor pilot made both visual and radar contact with KAL 007. Here are the ground communications from Sakhalin chronicalling the Stalk of KAL 007 from initial order from the Far East Military District Commander Genreral Valeri Kamensky to near the time of shootdown.

On the ground 33 thousand feet below KAL 007 —documented by the transcripts of the Russian military ground-to-ground communications submitted by the Russian Federation and appended to the 1993 ICAO report:

General Kornukov Commander of Sokol Air Base on Sakhalin (to Military District Headquarters, Air Defense Command -Gen. Kamenski): (5:47)

...simply destroy even if it is over neutral waters? Are the orders to destroy it over neutral waters? Oh, well.

General Kornukov: (6:13)

Chaika [call sign for Far East Military District (FEMD) Air Force Command Post]

Titovnin (Air Combat Controller):

Yes, sir. He sees on the radar screen, he sees on the screen. He has locked on, he is locked on, he is locked on.

Kornukov:

No answer, Roger. Be ready to fire, the target is 45-50 km from the State border. Officer in charge at the command post, please, for report.

Titovnin:

Hello.

Kornukov:

Kornukov, please put Kamenski on the line. Kornukov: ... General Kornukov, put General Kamenski on.

General Kamenski:

Kamenski here.

Kornukov: (6:14)

Comrade General, Kornukov, good morning. I am reporting the situation. Target 60- 65 is over Terpenie Bay tracking 240, 30 km from the State border, the fighter from Sokol is 6 km away. Locked on, orders were given to arm weapons. The target is not responding, to identify, he cannot identify it visually because it is still dark, but he is still locked on.

Kamenski:

We must find out, maybe it is some civilian craft or God knows who.

Kornukov:

What civilian? has flown over Kamchatka! It from the ocean without identification. I am giving the order to attack if it crosses the State border.

Kamenski:

Go ahead now, I order…?

And at another location—at Smyrnykh Air Force Base in central Sakhalin…

Lt. Col. Novoseletski (Fighter Division Acting Chief of Staff): (6:12)

Does he see it on the radar or not?

Titovnin: (6:13)

He sees it on the screen, he sees it on the screen. He is locked on.

Novoseletski:

He is locked on.

Titovnin:

Locked on. Well, Roger.

Titovnin: (6:14)

Hello.

Lt. Col. Maistrenko (Operations Duty Officer, Fighter Division Combat Control Center:

Maistrenko!

Titovnin:

Maistrenko Comrade Colonel, that is, Titovnin.

Maistrenko: (6:15)

Yes.

Titovnin:

The commander has given orders that if the border is violated—destroy .

Maistrenko:

…May a passenger . All necessary steps must be taken to identify it.

Titovnin:

Identification measures are being taken, but the pilot cannot see. It’s dark. Even now it’s still dark.

Maistrenko:

Well, okay. The task is correct. If there are no lights—it cannot be a passenger .

Titovnin:

You confirm the task?

Maistrenko:

Eh?

Titovnin:You confirm the task?

Maistrenko:

Yes.

Titovnin:

Roger.

And at yet another location…

Kornukov: (6:21)

Gerasimenko!

Lt. Col. Gerasimenko (Acting commander, 41st Fighter Regiment):

Gerasimenko here.

Kornukov:

Gerasimenko, cut the horseplay at the command post, what is that noise there? I repeat the combat task: fire missiles, fire on target 60-65 destroy target 60-65.

Gerasimenko:

Wilco.

Kornukov:

Comply and get Tarasov here.

Take control of the MiG 23 from Smyrnykh, call sign 163, call sign 163, he is behind the target at the moment. Destroy the target!

Gerasimenko:

Task received. Destroy target 60-65 with missile fire, accept control of fighter from Smyrnykh.

Kornukov:

Carry out the task, destroy !

Gerasimenko:

…Comrade General… Gone to attack position.

Kornukov: (6:24)

Oh, , how long to go to attack position, he is already getting out into neutral waters. Engage afterburner immediately. Bring in the MiG 23 as well... While you are wasting time, it will fly right out.

Gerasimenko.

Gerasimenko:

Here.

Kornukov:

So, 23 is going behind, his radar sights are engaged, draw yours off to the right immediately after the attack. Has he fired or not?

Gerasimenko:

Not yet, not at all.

Kornukov:

Why?

Gerasimenko:

He is closing in, going on the attack. 163 is coming in, observing both.

[The MiG 23 (163) had reported in at 18:23:49 "Twelve kilometers to the target. I see both" (the Soviet interceptor piloted by Osipovich and KAL 007)]

Kornukov:

Okay, Roger, understood, so bring in 163 in behind Osipovich to guarantee destruction.

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