Which event involved an unauthorized flight by a West German amateur pilot from Helsinki to Moscow in 1987, landing next to Red Square?

• A. May 1968 Uprising (France)
• B. Mathias Rust flight (1987)
• C. Mohammad Mosaddegh
• D. Golda Meir

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is a dramatic security breach during the Cold War that involved a civilian who bypassed regional airspace controls. The event in question is Mathias Rust’s 1987 flight. A West German amateur pilot flew a small aircraft from Helsinki to Moscow without authorization and landed next to Red Square. This stunt exposed gaps in Soviet air defenses and border security at the time, causing embarrassment for the Soviet leadership and prompting security and defensive reassessments. It stands out because it is a well-known, verifiable incident where a private individual defied international airspace limits and landed in the heart of Moscow, something the other options do not describe.