Norway acquits Putin ally’s son who flew drone

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The son of a Russian businessman close to President Vladimir Putin has been acquitted in Norway of violating a law that bars Russians from flying drones. Andrey Yakunin who holds both a Russian and a British passport and lives in Italy, flew two drones over Norway’s Arctic Archipelago of Svalbard in September. The ban on flying drones came in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. A Norwegian court ruled Wednesday that flying a hobby drone is not covered by the sanction regulations. Numerous drone sightings have been reported near offshore oil and gas platforms belonging to NATO member Norway, a major oil and gas producer. Several Russian citizens have been detained for flying drones or taking photographs of sensitive sites in Norway.